Her Hound
by Cody'sxFavoritexGirl
Summary: Roman Reigns has been dating Mel Ryder for two years, and while their relationship is perfect, much more powerful forces are at work, trying to destroy Roman and his fellow Shield members. Mel just wants to protect him, but will her involvement only make things worse, and put a strain on their fairytale relationship? Written for my best friend. Roman Reigns/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Allstate Arena-June 1, 2014

Hundreds of people packed the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, all of them turning out to see the Payback pay-per-view. The main draw was the main event, which featured the incredibly popular stable the Shield being pitted against the equally as popular, but also fiercely hated, Evolution.

The pay-per-view seemed to pass by excruciatingly slow, with all of the fans fidgeting in their seats. While the matches were all mildly interesting and told a good story, what they really wanted to see was the Hounds of Justice go up against the formidable team of Evolution.

Finally, the familiar voices of the Shield's three members rang out through the arena, followed by music that everyone in that crowd loved. The so-called architect of the Shield, Seth Rollins, came out first, making his way carefully down the steep steps and through the crowd. Behind him came the loose cannon, Dean Ambrose, and last came the Samoan powerhouse and the man who made all of the girls lose their minds, Roman Reigns.

The three men assembled in the ring, pacing to every corner and back again, preparing themselves for war. Seth hopped up on the middle rope and stood looking out at the crowd while Dean walked in circles, muttering to himself and occasionally yelling random insults about Evolution. Roman just stood in silence, his fingers hooked around the collar of his vest, staring up at the stage with intense eyes.

Evolution's music hit without warning, and everyone in the arena began to boo. Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista strolled out onto the stage, looking extremely cocky and intimidating. Unfortunately for them, Batista had made a critical error in wearing all blue attire instead of black and white like the other two members of his team, and mocking laughter rose up from the audience, along with chants of "Bluetista".

As soon as Evolution entered the ring, the match began. It was chaos from the start; bodies flying everywhere, weapons being used, shouts filling the air. The fans didn't even know where to look; so much was happening at once.

Eventually Evolution gained the upper hand, and Roman was dragged back into the ring while his teammates lay motionless outside. Randy tore the black combat vest off of him, leaving his chest and back bare. Batista seized him by his shoulder-length locks of black hair and position him so that he was laying facedown on the steel ring steps.

Triple H stepped up, holding a kendo stick tightly in his huge fist. He wrapped his other hand around the kendo stick and raised it above his head, then brought it down hard on the large Samoan's exposed back. The crack rang out, stunning the crowd into silence. Roman didn't make a sound at first, but as Triple H continued to beat him with the stick, he couldn't hold back and began to let out loud bellows of pain.

Everyone in the crowd flinched at the sound of the stick slapping his skin, some even having to turn away from the brutality of it.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of motion on the stage, and Mel Ryder, a WWE Diva and Roman's girlfriend, came flying down the ramp. She slid into the ring, ducked the grasping arms of Randy and Batista, and smacked right into Triple H. She seized the kendo stick with one hand and attempted to rip it away from him, but he shoved her away and raised his arm, intending to strike Roman once again.

Mel let out a scream of rage that could rival her boyfriend's and slapped Triple H as hard as she could across the face.

Triple H's eyes darkened with fury, and he reached out to grab her, only to be speared by 265 pounds of pissed off Samoan. Randy and Batista tried to intervene, only to be taken out by Dean and Seth.

Mel took a step toward Roman, but stopped when he swung around to look at her. There was still an angry expression on his face, and he stalked toward her and grabbed her around her waist, throwing her over his broad shoulder. He stomped up the ramp and backstage, leaving his brothers to clean up the mess in the ring.

Mel attempted to struggle, but Roman's grip was like iron, and she gave up on that immediately and instead went limp, allowing him to carry her to his locker room. As soon as they were inside, he dropped her on the couch against the wall.

"What was that about?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her hazel eyes at him.

Roman whipped around, exploding suddenly. "What the hell were you thinking?! That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen you do, and that's saying something! You could have been killed!"

Mel sprang up off of the couch, bristling with anger. "What the hell are you talking about?!" she yelled back at him, matching his ferocity. "I was trying to save you! They were beating the hell out of you! Did you expect me to just sit back here and watch?!"

"I expected you to be smarter than that!" Roman snapped, his dark eyes flashing. "Honestly, Mel, what possessed you to do something stupid like that? What if you had been seriously hurt? I wouldn't know what to do without you. I would be lost."

Some of the edge in Roman's voice faded, and for the first time Mel could see how badly she had scared him. She felt a sudden pang of guilt; she hadn't meant to worry him. She had only wanted to stop them from hurting him. She had tried to restrain herself, but his cries of pain had made her snap.

"I'm sorry, Ro," she whispered, remorse in her voice. "I didn't mean to scare you…I just...you were in so much pain…" Tears filled her eyes suddenly.

All of the anger seemed to leave Roman's body at once, and he pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. "Shhh, it's okay. Shhh."

As Mel listened to the steady thumping of his heartbeat, she knew that she would do whatever it took to protect him. Whether he liked it or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When Roman and Mel returned to their hotel room later that night, the first thing that Mel did was flop on her back on the huge king-sized bed. She was exhausted and sore, and all that she wanted to do was slip into sleep's warm embrace. But when she saw Roman struggling to remove his shirt, however, she got up and went over to help him.

The black cotton fabric of Roman's t-shirt was sticking to his back for some reason, and he couldn't get it off without stretching his arms too far and causing himself more pain. Mel gripped the hem of his shirt and slowly tugged it up, being careful not to hurt him too much. She pulled it off of his back and then up and over his head. When the shirt came off, she saw what had caused the problem; Roman's back was smeared with blood from the criss-crossing cuts that he had received from the kendo stick, and some of the blood had soaked into the shirt as well, causing it to stick to his back.

"Oh, that's why," he said weakly. "Huh. That's a lot of blood." His voice sounded odd, almost airy, as well as faint. His normally bright blue eyes were dull, the light that usually shone in their depths seemingly extinguished.

"Ro?" Mel said nervously, her heart beginning to pound. She didn't like the haggard expression on his face. It was clear that he was just barely holding it together, and she had a sick feeling that he wasn't telling her how much pain he was truly in. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Roman said shakily. "I'm totally fine. No problem." His words told a different story than his face, which was very pale.

Mel chewed the bottom of her lip, a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew that Roman wasn't telling her something, but she also knew that she couldn't force it out of him. He was a very stubborn guy when he wanted to be, and if she pushed him to tell her, he would just shut down even more.

"Look, I promise you that I'm fine," he repeated when he saw the worry in her hazel eyes. He knew that she worried about him after all of his matches, but they both knew that this time it was different. His wounds were extremely painful and serious, and even though he knew he should fess up to being in pain, he didn't want to stress her out more. Figuring that a cold shower would help wash out the cuts on his back and numb the stinging sensation, he took a step toward the bathroom, only to have the world tilt dangerously.

Mel saw Roman start to stumble, and she quickly grabbed his arm, wrapping her delicate hands around his muscular bicep, steadying him a little. His smooth skin felt hot to the touch, and her suspicions that he wasn't telling her the truth were solidified. "Come on," she said, guiding him over to the bed. "You need to rest."

Roman started to protest, but Mel gave him a sharp look that told him that arguing was out of the question. Roman knew better than to try and talk his way out of a situation when Mel got that steely look in her eyes, so he allowed her to gently push him down onto the bed.

"Lay down and rest," the petite brunette Diva commanded, fluffing up the pillows. "And I don't want to hear any arguments. You've been through a lot tonight, and the last thing that needs to happen is you passing out. I know for a fact that you're in more pain than you're telling me. So just get some rest, okay?"

Roman could see that Mel was pretty much begging him to take it easy, and he knew that she was doing it out of love for him, so he stretched out on his stomach on the bed, knowing instinctively that it would be far too painful to lay on his back. He turned his head to the side and rested it on the fluffy pillow, and was surprised to feel his eyelids drooping. He hadn't realized just how exhausted he was until now.

Mel sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his long hair, still concerned about him. It had really scared her when he had wobbled like that; she had thought that he was going to pass out and fall over. If he had, she never would have been strong enough to get him up on the bed or anything. That thought alone was terrifying.

The sound of light breathing made her look at Roman, and much to her relief, she saw that he had fallen asleep. She had suspected that he was tired, and he had just proved her right. That was the fastest she had ever seen him fall asleep.

Mel tugged the sheets up over him, being careful not to let them touch his back. Instead she tucked them around his waist, trying not to stare at the horrible marks on his smooth skin. Whenever she looked at them, she wanted to go and track Evolution down and beat the shit out of all of them.

After kissing Roman's forehead, she proceeded into the bathroom to take a quick shower, trying not to make too much noise. She brushed out her wet hair and then tugged it up into a bun, not wanting to chance the hair dryer. She padded out of the bathroom in her bra and panties and rummaged around in her suitcase until she found her favorite pajamas, a pair of blue and green plaid short shorts and a blue tank top that left some of her toned stomach exposed. Usually this was what she wore when she wanted to get Roman's attention, but since he was asleep and much too weak to do anything else, the only person she was wearing it for was herself.

As soon as she slipped beneath the cool cotton sheets, she felt sleep creep up on her. She was just as tired as Roman, but before she allowed it to overcome her, she rolled onto her side so that she was facing her boyfriend. She reached out a hand and intertwined her fingers with his, holding on tight. She had really thought that she was going to lose her soulmate tonight.

Mel allowed sleep to pull her under, still clutching the hand of the person who was dearest to her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Over the course of the next few days, Roman slowly began to recover his strength. He was given the rest of the week off, which meant that he was able to just lay around the hotel room and relax. It had been so long since he'd last been able to actually sit on the couch and watch TV that it felt like the greatest luxury ever. The marks on his back were finally beginning to heal, but he somehow knew that he would be scarred for life. It wouldn't have been so bad except that he was worried that Mel would find them disgusting.

She didn't, of course. It was quite the opposite. Mel found the scars hot, even though she hated the way he had gotten them. She could tell that he was very insecure about them, and so she made sure to touch them all the time, to show him that she didn't mind them at all. Vince had given her the rest of the week off as well, so that she was around to take care of Roman while he was healing up. It was nice to be able to stay with him all day. She would have been worried sick if he had been by himself, unable to know if he was alright or if he had passed out again.

Saturday dawned bright and early, and Mel woke to find Roman's side of the bed empty. She started to panic a little, wondering where he might have gone. It was true that he had been regaining his strength, but he still wasn't strong enough to be able to go work out or walk around like he used to. Only a day ago she had caught him trying to slip out the door and go for a run. When she had scolded him about it, he had argued that he was only going to go for a short one, but she hadn't been appeased and had made him stay home. Perhaps he really had gone this time?

Mel pushed the tangled comforter back and swung her legs out of bed, intending to go and look for her runaway boyfriend. Her bare feet had just touched the carpeted floor when the sound of the toilet flushing caught her attention, and then the bathroom door opened. Roman walked out in a pair of sweatpants, his long black hair wet from the shower. He blinked when he saw her perched on the edge of the bed, surprised that she was up so early. Normally Mel slept until ten when she had days off, because she usually had to get up at four. They had a very taxing work schedule, so when they had the chance to get some extra sleep, they seized it.

"Hey baby," the Samoan man said, crossing the room to his suitcase and digging around inside, searching for a clean shirt to wear. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I woke up and you weren't here. I thought you had tried to sneak out again," Mel responded, rolling back into bed. She was tempted to stress to him how worried she had been, but he had been through plenty already, and she didn't want to nag him.

Roman felt a prick of guilt. He knew that Mel was worried about him, and ever since he had tried to go for a run yesterday, she had been on her guard. He hadn't meant to freak her out, he had only wanted to go for his morning jog. It was a habit of his, and it honestly hadn't occurred to him that he still might be too weak to handle it. He knew she had a point, he just hated being cooped up in the room all the time.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, babe," he said honestly, straightening up and tugging a white t-shirt over his head. The moisture from his hair quickly caused damp spots to appear on the fabric, so he pulled his hair back into a bun. "I only got up to take a shower because my back was hurting again, so I figured some cold water would soothe the ache. I would've woken you, but you looked so peaceful and you hadn't had a decent night's sleep in awhile, so…"

Now it was Mel's turn to feel guilty. Here she was being irritated at him for not telling her where he was going, only to discover that the reason he hadn't done it was because he knew that she needed sleep and hadn't wanted to wake her. She suddenly felt very selfish, and she silently scolded herself for making the world revolve around her when in reality it should revolve around her injured boyfriend.

"No, I'm sorry baby," Mel said, hopping out of bed and padding over to Roman. She looped her arms around his neck and gazed up at him, one hand playing with the loose strands of hair at the nape of his neck. "You're the one who's in pain and I'm acting like a child. I promise to focus on you more from now on, baby. That's how it should be anyway."

Roman placed a soft kiss on her lips, surprised by this sudden outpouring of remorse. He hadn't been annoyed with her at all, but it was clear that this was something that she needed to get off of her chest, and he appreciated her concern for his feelings. "It's okay baby," he told her, giving her another kiss. "Thank you for taking such good care of me. I'm blessed to have such a beautiful, kind, and caring girlfriend like you."

Those words made Mel feel unlike she ever had before, and her bright smile lit up Roman's world. He would give anything to be able to see that smile every day for the rest of his life.

Well, he thought as he stroked her cheek, after what he had planned for tomorrow, he just might be able to.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Roman Reigns was known to be strong. He was tough and he didn't take shit from anyone, except for the people who were closest to him, which were few and far between. Roman didn't give his trust to just anyone. They had to earn it, and only when he was sure that that person was worthy of his time and energy did he let them in. There were only three people that he entrusted the side of him that he didn't show anyone else to, and that was Mel, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins. He trusted those three with his life and would always be there for him.

But you know what they say, it's the people who are closest to you that hurt you the most.

When that chair connected with Roman's back, it was like his world came crashing down around him. There were only two people in the ring with him at that time, and they were two of the aforementioned three who he trusted. It didn't matter which one had done it, because the emotional pain was still intense, but it was still pretty horrible to look up from the canvas and see Seth standing over him.

Seth. Friendly, outgoing, loyal Seth. The fact that he had been the one to turn stung more than if Dean had done it. Perhaps it was because he would have expected it of Dean; he had always been a loose cannon, dangling over the edge by his fingertips. But Seth...he hadn't seen that coming at all. That was the part that hurt the most.

After the betrayal, Roman limped backstage with Dean on his heels. He wasn't speaking at all, but Roman could see the hurt and anger in his blue eyes. He decided that now was not the time to attempt to broach the subject, so he just put a hand on Dean's shoulder and rested it there for a second before turning and stumbling toward his locker room.

Mel met him halfway, shock in her hazel eyes along with tears. She had been just as fond of Seth as he had, and she hadn't been expecting the betrayal either. She was clearly concerned about him, but he didn't want to talk about anything at the moment. He just wanted to go somewhere dark and quiet, where he could sit by himself and think about what had just happened.

"Ro…" Mel said, her tone shaky. "I...I'm so…"

She never got an apologetic word out, however, because Roman pushed right by her without responding, heading straight for his locker room. She was stunned by his silence toward her; Roman never ignored her, no matter what had happened. She could sense that this time was different. One of his best friends had done the unthinkable. She wanted to go after him, but she wasn't sure if she should or not. Something told her that Roman wanted to be alone.

Still, he was her boyfriend, and what kind of a girlfriend would she be if she didn't go and check on him? So she followed Roman to his locker room, keeping her distance at the same time.

As soon as he got inside the locker room, Roman had a mental breakdown. He picked up the closest thing to him, a water bottle, and whipped it at the wall. The plastic bottle exploded, water spraying everywhere, but he didn't care. He seized anything that wasn't bolted down and threw it, overturning his locker room and totally trashing it. He was channeling all of the pain and fury that he felt into each object, and it as each one broke he felt a little bit better. It wasn't the same as breaking Seth's traitorous face, but it was pretty damn close.

After the last object shattered on the floor, Roman put his face in his hands and just stood in the middle of the trashed locker room for what felt like forever. There were so many thoughts spinning through his head. How long had Seth been planning this? Had he really joined Evolution for real, or was this another one of his unorthodox plans? Somehow he knew that it wasn't. Seth really had turned his back on his brothers and crossed over the line in the sand. He was gone for good.

That was the first time that Roman thought about Seth being gone forever, and it suddenly hit him like a sack of bricks. Seth was gone. His best friend, his brother, the guy he told everything to, no longer wanted to be associated with him. He had severed any bond that he had with Roman and Dean and walked away without looking back. It was as if they had never meant anything to him at all.

Roman's eyes began to sting, but he didn't bother rubbing at them. The next thing he knew, tears were streaming down his cheeks. He lashed out wildly with his fist, connecting with his locker and putting a large dent in the door. "Goddammit!" he roared, tearing at his hair while the tears continued to fall. He backed up against the wall and slowly slid down it until he was huddled on the floor, trying unsuccessfully to stop the sobs that were racking his body.

He was still sitting on the cold floor when Mel walked in. At first she was so stunned that she didn't move, not expecting to see Roman Reigns crying like a child. But after the initial shock faded, she went over to where he sat up against the wall and crouched down next to him. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, pulling the huge man into her. At first he resisted, but then he slowly allowed himself to lean against her, and the next thing she knew, he was crying so hard that she could feel his sobs shaking his entire body.

Mel held him tight, not saying anything, just comforting him. She could see that he was broken, and it was kind of scary. She had never seen him so shattered before. Seth's betrayal had really cut him deep, and it was really sad to see.

"Why?" Roman choked out all of a sudden. "Why would he do that? Why?" He began to cry harder. "He was my best friend….he….why…?"

Mel held her boyfriend, feeling incredibly guilty because she didn't know the answer. That was the question that everyone was asking, wasn't it?

_Why, Seth? Why?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The days that followed Seth's betrayal were rough ones. Roman was very withdrawn and sullen, and when he spoke to Mel it was with one word answers. It was taking quite a toll on their relationship, because even though Mel understood that he was in pain, she didn't appreciate him shutting her out. She was his girlfriend, she was supposed to comfort him whenever something terrible like this happened, but she couldn't do that when he wouldn't even speak to her. It was driving her up the wall, and she felt like ripping her hair out. For the first time in their relationship, she actually considered leaving him. It was the last thing that she wanted, but the silence was maddening. She had never seen him like that before, and it was actually kind of frightening.

As for Roman, it wasn't that he was trying to push her away. It was just that he felt like he couldn't trust anyone anymore. He had let Seth into the tiny fold of people that he thought he could rely on, and he had let him down. Even though he considered himself to be a very strong person, that was a blow that he couldn't recover from. It wasn't just Mel that he was locking out, either; he had been avoiding Dean more and more. Even though Dean surprisingly hadn't been the one to turn on him, and had actually tried to help him when Seth hit him with the chair, he just couldn't be sure that he really was his best friend. For all he knew, Dean was conspiring with Seth, and had known about the attack all along.

Both Mel and Dean were trying their hardest to get back the old Roman that they knew and loved, but it just didn't seem to be working at all. They couldn't get him to stay open long enough to get him to see that they were people that he could trust; every time one of them mentioned Seth, he immediately shut down and didn't want to talk about it anymore. It was very frustrating, but also heartwrenching. This was a situation that no one had ever predicted would arrive, and that made it so much harder to deal with.

The day that everything reached a peak was when Mel attempted once more to reach Roman. He was sitting on the couch in the hotel room they were staying in for the night, a baseball game playing on the TV. Even though his head was turned toward it, he didn't seem to be paying attention; his eyes were distant, and he seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

Mel came slowly out of the bathroom in her favorite pajamas, a pair of plaid green and blue shorts and a matching tank top. She swallowed hard when she saw Roman sitting there, slouched over and looking as dejected as a man who had just lost his best friend could look. She straightened up and took a deep breath, then walked over to him. "Hey Ro? Could we talk a second?"

It seemed like he hadn't heard her. He just sat there, staring blankly at the television screen. Mel chewed her lower lip, waiting for him to acknowledge her. When a significant amount of time passed without him saying a word, she moved so that she was standing between him and the TV.

Slowly, Roman looked at her, his brown eyes that were once so warm and loving, now so cold and foreign. "I don't want to talk," he said flatly, his tone telling her that there was no room for argument.

Something about the decisive way that he had said it made her bristle. "Well that's too bad," she said, snatching up the remote and turning the TV off. "We have some things that we need to discuss."

"I told you that I don't want to talk," Roman repeated edgily. "Do I have to write it out for you?"

Mel tried not to let his words affect her. She told herself that he was just angry and conflicted, and that it wasn't directed toward her. Her Roman would never purposely hurt her. But then again, her Roman seemed to have disappeared.

"You never want to talk," she said angrily. "Every time I try to get you to open up to me, you act like I'm not even there. It hurts me, Roman, and you don't seem to give a shit."

Roman said nothing, preferring instead to tap his fingers against the arm of the couch. The fact that he was doing exactly what she had just said only pissed her off even more, and even though she really had not wanted to have to resort to yelling at him, she was down to the last dregs of her patience.

"See?" she snapped. "You're doing it again! All I want is for you to talk to me again! The silence is driving me crazy, and I honestly don't know if I even want to be in this relationship anymore!"

Roman seemed to come alive after she said that; his head snapped up, and he looked at her with such a frigid gaze that she swore she felt goosebumps rise up along her tanned skin. "I knew it," he growled, standing suddenly. "I knew that you would leave. You're just like him. I knew that I couldn't trust you. I can't trust anyone. You all turn on me in the end."

He towered over her by a good two feet, and for the first time in the two years that they were together, she felt scared. It became very clear to her that the man that stood in front of her was not the one that she had fallen in love with. "I never said that," she told him, trying to keep her voice steady. "I only said that I'm questioning our relationship, and you've just proven why."

"So go," Roman spat, turning away from her as if disgusted. "Just get out of here."

Hot tears sprang into Mel's hazel eyes; she had only tried to help him because she loved him, and she had gotten burned. "Fine," she huffed, spinning around quickly so he couldn't see that she was extremely upset. She grabbed her suitcase, zipping it shut roughly, without even checking to make sure that she had everything. Without another word, she wheeled it to the door and threw it open, then stormed out into the hallway, feeling like her heart had just been ripped out of her chest and stomped on.

It was only until she was halfway down the hallway that she realized she had nowhere to go. She and Roman had always stayed together, so she didn't have her own room. She didn't really have any girlfriends; the other Divas seemed to think she was only with Roman because he was on the fast track to becoming the next face of the company, so none of them were in any rush to spend time with her. She was all alone.

Mel let go of the handle of her suitcase for a moment and rubbed her hands over her face, trying to think. She didn't want to break up with Roman. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone, and she wanted to be with him. She had to find a way to break him out of this traumatized state that he had fallen into.

As she contemplated what to do, she realized that there was only one other person who knew Roman as well as she did, and possibly even better. Perhaps together they could somehow reach him.

The only problem was, the one person who could help her was the person that she despised more than anything.

* * *

"You're asking _me _for help?"

Mel sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. She had only been in the same room as this fool for less than five minutes, and she was already extremely annoyed. "Yes, moron," she snapped. "As much as I absolutely hate having to talk to you, I happen to love my boyfriend, and I want him back. Unfortunately, you're the only one who can help me achieve that."

Dean Ambrose threw his head back and let out one of his maniacal laughs. "Wait, wait, let me get this straight," he choked out, still laughing. "What you're actually saying is, you _need _me."

Mel huffed, pushing her straight brown hair back out of her eyes. "Please. I would never need you, you greaseball."

Dean placed his hand over his heart, a phony wounded look on his face. "That really stung. Do you have no concern for my well being?"

"No."

Dean seemed to grow serious all of a sudden, and he ran a hand through his messy hair. "I haven't been doing too good after the…incident...either. I feel like I have to watch my back all the time, and worry about what might lurk around every corner. It's really difficult."

"I don't care how you're doing," Mel said bluntly. "I just want my Roman back."

Dean didn't even flinch. He just opened the door to his room. "Come on. Let's go save Superman."

* * *

When Dean and Mel got back to Roman's room, they found him getting ready for bed. He was in a pair of cotton pajama pants, and Mel sucked in a breath, trying not to stare too long at his chiseled torso. She couldn't afford to be distracted right now.

Roman looked up when they came in, and his eyes instantly hardened when he saw Dean. "What the hell are you doing here?" There was no trace of friendliness or comradery in his tone, proving that he had completely turned his back on his Shield teammate.

"I'm here because your girlfriend wants me to try and talk some sense back into you," Dean said without seeming bothered. "You can't keep cutting her out, Roman. It's pushing her away."

"In case you forgot, my best friend betrayed me," Roman growled.

"In case _you _forgot, he was my best friend too," Dean pointed out. "It hurt me just as much as it hurt you, but you don't see me shoving everyone who's close to me away. It made me appreciate the people I do have. And really, the only person I have now is you. Don't make me lose another best friend."

Roman looked away. It was clear that Dean's words were getting to him, but he wasn't totally convinced yet.

"Ro."

He turned slowly, his eyes fixing on the petite brunette who his world revolved around. Her hands were clenched tightly together, and she was looking at him with tears shimmering in her sad hazel eyes.

As he looked at her, he realized just how much of a dick he had been to her. She had done nothing but shower him with love, and in return he had showered her with coldness. He suddenly felt extremely guilty. He had no right to do that to her.

"I need you back," Mel whispered pleadingly. "I need my baby back. I can't take anymore of this cold silence from you. I only wanted to help you because I love you. I want the old you back...the warm, loving one...please...please come back to me…"

Roman took a step forward, and then he wrapped his arms around her. He could feel her trembling in his arms, and she suddenly seemed so small. He buried his face in her soft hair and inhaled her scent, tears starting to trickle down his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he whispered, tightening his arms around her tiny frame. "I'm so sorry…" He kept repeating it over and over, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.

Mel clung to him, her arms looped around his waist and her face buried in his bare chest. It felt so good to be in his arms again, and to hear his voice.

Dean quietly slipped out the door, letting it click shut behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Soft kisses peppering her face is what woke Mel from the deep sleep that she had been in, and her eyes fluttered open to see Roman leaning over her, supporting himself on his forearm, which was on the pillow above Mel's head. He stopped kissing her face when he saw her eyes open, and the smile he gave her melted her heart.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said cheerfully, placing another kiss on her forehead.

It felt so good to have her Roman back. It had killed her when he had been so withdrawn and sullen, and for one scary moment she had thought she was going to lose him. His stony silence was driving her crazy, but with the help of Dean Ambrose, she had managed to drag him back from the brink. As much as she hated Ambrose, she grudgingly admitted that it wouldn't have been possible to save Roman without him. Still, that was the last time she was ever going to ask that square for help.

"Good morning, you," she responded, running her fingers through his long hair. He let it down out of the bun he usually kept it in when he went to sleep, and now it cascaded down to just past his shoulders, looking like a spill of black ink. Mel had always dated guys with short hair in the past, and she never used to look twice at guys with long hair, but Roman was different. His long hair just added to his appeal. Of course, his intense brown eyes that seemed to see into your soul added to that as well.

Roman nuzzled her neck before pulling back. "I made you breakfast."

For the first time, the scent of fresh pancakes and sausage hit her, and Mel felt her mouth begin to water. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until just now, and she was immensely grateful that her boyfriend had taken the time to make her breakfast.

"Thank you baby," Mel chirped, giving him a quick kiss before hopping out of the king-sized bed. She padded barefoot over to the table and sat down, taking a plate and putting a few pancakes on it. They were golden-brown and fluffy, and her stomach growled loudly, anxious to devour them. Mel grabbed a few juicy-looking sausage links as well before picking up her fork and digging in. As the medley of delicious flavors filled her mouth, Mel took a moment to appreciate the fact that her big, tough Samoan boyfriend knew how to cook.

Roman sat down across from her, but he didn't move to take any of the food. When Mel shot him a curious look, he smiled and said, "I ate before I woke you."

Mel looked at the mountain of pancakes and sausage with wide hazel eyes. "You mean all of this is for me?" she asked incredulously, swallowing the mouthful that she had.

Roman laughed at her expression. "You don't have to eat all of it, love. I just made a lot just in case."

"Oh," Mel said, sounding relieved. "Well, maybe I'll have a few more, then…"

Roman laughed again as she shoveled more food onto her plate.

* * *

Since both of them had the day off and they were currently in New Jersey, Roman decided that they should go to the fair on the boardwalk. The two of them got there around noon and walked along the wooden boards, holding hands and chatting happily. At one point they came upon a bottle game, and Roman gave the guy running the booth five dollars for a try. The guy handed him three small plastic balls, and Roman knocked all of the bottles down with only one. The guy looked bewildered, but he gave Roman the prize that he requested, a stuffed dolphin. Roman handed the dolphin to Mel, who beamed at the fact that he'd remembered dolphins were her favorite animal. She named it Squeakers, and from that point on they were a trio instead of a duo.

Mel saw the ferris wheel, and immediately her eyes lit up. She loved the ferris wheel; every time she went to a fair, she felt an impulse to ride it. She gave Roman's hand an excited tug. "Ro! Let's go on the ferris wheel!"

Roman looked up at the imposing structure and swallowed hard. He had never confessed this to anyone but Dean and Seth, but he was terrified of heights. He started to say no, but then he looked down at his girlfriend and saw the excited look in her eyes, and he knew that he couldn't refuse. So the next thing he knew, they were sitting in one of the cars as the ferris wheel turned, taking them higher and higher.

Mel sat snuggled into Roman's side, one hand holding his and the other holding Squeakers the stuffed dolphin. She was feeling very content, and she looked out the window at the blue sky and the equally as blue ocean, thinking about how pretty it all was.

Roman was doing the exact opposite and trying to avoid looking out the window, afraid that he might be sick if he did. He suddenly realized that this would be the perfect time to give Mel his little gift, and so he pulled a rectangular box out of his pocket, the solid weight of it reassuring him that his gift was still in there. "Hey babe?"

Mel turned her head to look at Roman, wearing an expectant smile. "Yes?"

Roman held the box out to her, loving the look of surprised delight on her face. "This is for you. It's a way of apologizing for how I acted yesterday."

Mel took the box and opened it to reveal a golden locket shaped like a heart, hanging on a delicate golden chain. She lifted the necklace out of the box, the sunlight glinting off of its surface. When she opened the locket, she saw her favorite picture of the two of them inside.

"It's so I'll always be close to your heart," Roman told her, sounding almost shy.

The sweetness of the gesture made Mel melt inside. "Oh Ro...I love it so much. Thank you." She fastened the locket around her neck, already certain that she was never going to take it off.

When they got off of the ferris wheel, Mel spotted a mini-golfing place at the end of the boardwalk. "Ro, can we go mini-golfing? Please?"

Roman smiled. "Of course baby."

Mel tugged him to the small building, and they bought clubs and golf balls. Roman sunk his ball in the first hole, but Mel struggled a bit, always just barely missing the hole.

"Here," Roman murmured, setting his club down and coming up behind her. He put his hands on top of hers on the club, encircling her with his arms. "Like this," he said softly, showing her how to hit the ball.

Mel tapped the ball with her club, and grinned hugely when it went in. "Yay!"

"Great job!" Roman exclaimed.

Mel twisted around to look up at him, her eyes soft. He looked back at her with an equally as soft gaze, and he tucked some of her hair behind her ear before kissing her on her cheek.

Mel's cheeks reddened, and she gave him a quick kiss before returning to the game.

Roman ended up winning, but Mel had been very close behind him. She was very proud of herself for being so close to beating him.

As they were walking out of the mini-golf place, Mel took Roman's hand and held it tight, feeling closer than ever to him. This day wasn't one that she would soon forget.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Are you sure about this, Ro?"

Roman glanced up at his girlfriend from where he was sitting on the wooden bench in his locker room. He was wrapping black tape around his wrists, preparing himself for the match that he had managed to weasel his way into. The Authority had thought it would be funny to ban him from the qualifying Battle Royal, in which the winner competed for the last slot in the ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Hunter had thought he would be able to keep him away from the title scene, but that just wasn't going to happen.

It had been Mel's idea to sweet talk Vickie Guerrero. She had given him some laxatives she had bought from the store just in case the occasion arised, and when he sent Vickie to go and get some sweetener for the iced coffee she had been delivering to Hunter and Stephanie McMahon, he had slipped the laxatives into the coffee. When Vickie returned, he played it cool until she disappeared around the corner, and then he raced back to his locker room to excitedly inform Mel that her plan had worked.

The two of them had watched in amusement as Stephanie drank her drugged iced coffee. Unfortunately, Hunter was an asshole as usual and ended up spilling his all over Vickie, so he didn't get a sip of the laxative-laced beverage. Oh well, it didn't matter. The important thing was that at least one of the power couple would soon be barfing up her insides, and that in itself was fantastic.

The one thing that he hadn't counted on was Vickie taking the brunt of the situation. Yeah, he had expected her to be the one who would get the blame, but he sure as hell hadn't anticipated Stephanie projectile vomiting all over the front of Vickie's designer dress. While it had been amusing at first, he felt a little sympathy toward Eddie Guerrero's wife. No one deserved to be treated like that.

He made his move when Vickie exited the room that Stephanie was upchucking in. He slipped out of one of the nearby rooms and started talking to her as if she was a friend and he was just offering her some advice. After all, she was a Guerrero, and this treatment was unfitting for a name with such high stature in the wrestling world. He urged her to do the right thing and put him in the Battle Royal later in the night. For a moment Vickie just looked at him with skepticism, as if she didn't entirely trust him. But her anger toward the Authority outweighed her reservations, and so she agreed to put him in the match.

Now Mel stood, staring at him with concern in her big hazel eyes. It was clear that she was starting to rethink their plan now that the reality of the situation was upon them. Hunter was going to be very, very angry once he saw that Roman was in the match, and if anything went wrong, both of their jobs would be on the line. Not to mention what Hunter might do to punish them on a more personal level. She had every reason to be afraid, but Roman knew her better. He knew that she was strong, and she wouldn't allow herself to be pushed around by anyone. That was one of the many reasons why he loved her.

"It'll be fine," he told her, tearing off the tape and flattening it down before standing up. "I'll go out there and do the same thing I always do: kick ass and take names."

Mel fidgeted, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. She knew that Roman was more than capable of handling himself, but she had a bad feeling that Hunter was going to send one of his goons out to destroy Roman's chances. She didn't vocalize those thoughts though; the last thing that she wanted was to throw him off of his game. "I know you will," she said, tucking some of the stray hair from her ponytail behind her ear. "I just worry about you, you know that."

"I know you do, but try not to. I've got this. I've always had it, I've just never gotten the chance to show it until now. I will be the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion." He gave her a cocky little smirk. "Believe that!"

Mel had to smile at his confidence. "I've always believed."

Roman gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I know. Thank you."

Mel just stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed him, not even having to put into words what she was thinking. She pulled away after a moment, knowing that he had to go out for his match. She kept her hand on his cheek for another heartbeat before he took a step back, toward the door. His hand came up and caught hers as it fell away from his face, and he placed a soft kiss on her palm. Then he backed up slowly until her hand slipped out of his, and he was gone.

She clutched her hands in front of her chest, staring at the empty space where he had been. She had such a bad feeling about this.

Roman signalled to the production crew to start his music on his way to the curtain, and it started playing right as he stepped out onto the stage. The rest of the participants in the match were already in the ring, and the crowd went crazy when they saw him standing there, the forbidden warrior showing up to fight. He made his way to the ring and climbed in, and then the bell rang and everything passed by in a haze.

When the fog lifted, the only two people left in the ring were himself and Alexander Rusev, the Russian who had a passionate hate for anything and everything American. The guy got on Roman's nerves enough with his constant whining, but now he was the only thing that stood between the Samoan Thor and a chance at glory. And that meant that he had to be destroyed.

Rusev put up a good fight, Roman gave him that. But in the end there could only be one winner, and as soon as Rusev's feet touched the mat outside the ring, Roman knew that it was destiny. The Authority had tried to stop him and failed. There was nothing to say that he couldn't overcome the odds and become the next champion. Nothing at all.

He didn't see the sledgehammer coming. All he felt was a hard weight slam into the middle of his back, and then he was on his knees, looking out at the shocked and horrified faces in the crowd. They all seemed to melt together until he was gazing at a sea of colors, unable to decipher anything specific.

The next blow took him in the side of the head, and he barely registered that he was falling until he was laying on his side, his arms splayed out limply in front of him. A loud rushing noise began in his ears, and the spotlights fixed on the ring grew in intensity until they were blinding. The rushing noise got louder and louder until it seemed to be all around him, and the lights got even brighter until he had to shut his eyes.

The sound of a high-pitched scream cut through the rushing, and then cold darkness came rushing up and swallowed him whole.


	8. Chapter 8

******Chapter 8**

**The whitewashed walls of the hospital had always given Mel the creeps. Most people thought of hospitals as places where miracles were performed and lives were saved, and that was true. Mel, however, hated hospitals with a passion. To her, it was where people went when they were on the brink of death. Even though she knew that that wasn't entirely true, it didn't stop her from staying away from them unless she absolutely had to go to one. This was one of those times.**

**When Roman had won the Battle Royal, she had been so happy for him. His entire career had been working up to that moment, and she knew that he was finally going to get the chance to prove himself, something that he desperately craved. Just that alone was worth him braving the Authority's anger. **

**All of that changed in a heartbeat, though. **

**Roman was so wrapped up in the moment that he didn't notice Hunter step out onto the stage. He stormed down the ramp toward the ring, heavy sledgehammer in hand and a murderous glint in his eyes. Mel had seen it all happening, and she had raced for the curtain as fast as she could, desperate to stop it. Unfortunately, she had only been able to make it halfway down the ramp when she saw the sledgehammer go flying through the air.**

**Roman didn't even see it coming. The sledgehammer struck him right in the middle of the back, sending him to his knees. A startled huff of air came from him, and then he just knelt there, gazing blankly out at the fans. Mel opened her mouth, but it was as if her voice got caught in her throat. She could barely breathe.**

**The next blow of the sledgehammer caught Roman right in the side of the head, missing his temple by inches. He pitched to the side and lay still, and this time Mel's voice didn't get stuck in her throat. A horrified scream erupted from her lips when she saw the love of her life go down, and she sprinted for the ring. She slid into it, ignoring the fact that Hunter was standing right there. She fell to her knees beside Roman, gently rolling him onto his back. She gasped when she saw the blood running from his head, tears filling her eyes. It looked really bad.**

**One of the referees appeared by her side, and he started to move her out of the way. She fought him immediately, shoving him hard in the chest and causing him to stumble back. She cradled Roman's head in her arms until the paramedics arrived with a stretcher, and only then did she allow them to take him from her. She followed them up the ramp and got into the ambulance with Roman, her face pale and her body trembling.**

**Now here she was, sitting on the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the hospital waiting room. Roman had been rushed to the emergency room, but she hadn't been allowed to go back there with him. At first she had fought the nurses on that, but she soon got way too exhausted to fight, and so she had given in and retreated to the waiting room. **

**She hated just sitting there and twiddling her thumbs while her boyfriend was possibly fighting for his life. She wanted to help him, but that was impossible when the stupid nurses wouldn't let her in there. So all she could do was wait.**

**After what seemed like hours, the double doors leading to the emergency room swung open, and a doctor walked out, pulling his blue facemask off. He paused and looked around the waiting room before saying, "Is there anyone here for Roman Reigns?"**

**Mel jumped to her feet so fast that she almost got whiplash, and she hurried over to him. "I'm his girlfriend. How is he?"**

**The doctor ran a hand over his face, and Mel's heart plummeted. "He'll be okay," he said. "He took a really nasty blow to the head, but he'll live. He has a concussion so he'll need a lot of rest and attention, but he'll recover. He got really lucky; the blow missed his temple by a millimeter. If it had struck him there, you'd be planning a funeral."**

**A chill ran down Mel's spine. Just the thought of having to put Roman in the ground made her feel like sobbing. "I'll take good care of him," she promised the doctor. "When can I take him home?"**

** "****He should be able to go home tomorrow," the doctor decided. "But like I said, make sure he doesn't bang his head on anything, and watch him carefully. If you see any signs of brain damage, bring him back here immediately."**

** "****Okay," Mel agreed. There was a huge ball of worry in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't entirely sure that she believed the doctor. Some part of her was still freaking out that Roman might die. She rocked back on her heels, chewing her lower lip. "Can I go and see him?"**

**The doctor nodded. "Don't stress him out too much though. Too much stress could send him into a coma."**

**Mel swallowed hard and nodded, and then she turned and headed for Roman's room. He was laying in a white bed, hooked up to an IV. He was awake, and he smiled at her when she came in. There was white gauze wrapped around his head, holding a thick white pad over his stitched wound. Even though he was keeping a brave face, there were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked like he had gotten ten years older. It made her heart break to see him like that, and she struggled to hold back tears.**

** "****Hey, don't cry," Roman said, holding his arms out to her. **

**Mel hesitated, not wanting to get close to him for fear of hurting him. He looked so fragile that she didn't want to touch him.**

** "****Mel. Come here."**

**She slowly moved forward until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her shoulder.**

**Being in his arms made her break down completely, and she buried her face in his strong chest as she sobbed. The worry of never seeing him again left her, leaving behind a hollow emptiness that she had to release through tears.**

**Roman just held her, offering comfort through his touch. He just hoped that it was enough.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Mel spent the night in the hospital, sleeping in the empty bed next to Roman's. The nurses initially weren't going to let her stay, but she had told them that they would have to drag her out kicking and screaming if they didn't want her there, and they seemed to decide that letting her stay wasn't a big deal after all.

When she woke up the next morning, the first thing she noticed was that Roman was awake, propped up on a mountain of fluffy pillows and watching TV. He had a plastic cup of water in one hand, and he occasionally took a sip, his eyes fixed on the screen. He didn't seem to notice that she was awake until she shifted, causing the bed to squeak a little.

"Hey you," Roman said warmly, smiling at her. He looked better than he did yesterday, but there was some blood crusted around the stitched up wound in the side of his head and dark circles under his eyes. He took another sip of water, wincing a little as it went down his throat. It was very sore, maybe because he hadn't drank anything since yesterday morning. It felt like someone had shoved a handful of glass down his throat.

"Hey," Mel yawned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She blinked the sleep away and peered at Roman, feeling a little anxious. She had kind of been hoping that the whole thing had just been a horrible dream, but when she had opened her eyes to see sterile white walls, she had known that it was all too real. "How's your head?"

"It's alright, I guess," he responded, turning the volume on the TV down and shifting a little so he was facing her. "It throbs every now and then, but otherwise it's not too bad. The doctor said I was lucky that the sledgehammer missed my temple."

Mel swallowed hard and nodded, not wanting to talk about what could have happened if the blow hadn't missed his temple.

"I don't remember much about what happened though," Roman continued, a distant look in his chocolate eyes. "All I remember is that I won the Battle Royal, and then something hit me in the back. The next thing I knew, I was on my knees, and then I got hit in the head too." He looked back at her, a stormy expression on his face. "Who hit me? I never got to see who it was, and I'd like to know so I can repay the favor as soon as I get out of this hellhole."

Now here was where Mel had a moral dilemma. On one hand, Roman deserved to know that it was Hunter who attacked him, but on the other hand, the last thing she wanted was Roman doing something stupid and getting himself fired. She wanted to see justice served to Hunter just as much as he would, but the cost was just too great. It would be an entirely different story if this was just one of the other wrestlers, but this was the COO of the company. If they messed with Hunter and the Authority, they would be awakening a slumbering beast. Was it worth it?

Roman was still looking at her expectantly, and she knew that she had to make a decision. "It was Hunter," she finally confessed, unable to lie to him. She didn't know if she would come to regret this decision, but she was willing to take the gamble.

Roman's expression darkened immediately, and one of his hands curled into a fist. "Hunter," he growled. "Of course. I should have known that bastard wouldn't be able to handle my victory." He was silent for a moment, seeming to stew over the actions of the Game and (hopefully not) plotting his revenge.

Seeing him so angry made Mel uneasy, and she leaned forward and rested her hand lightly on top of his clenched fist, attempting to calm him with her touch. Roman seemed to relax a little at the feeling of her cool fingers on his, but he was still very angry.

"This is bullshit," he said suddenly, startling her with how loud his voice was. "I did what they're always telling us to do, I seized an opportunity and used it to make a name for myself, and they punished me for it. Do they expect us all to just sit around backstage and jump at their beck and call like trained lapdogs? That might be the preference of Randy, Dave, and Seth, but not me. This needs to stop, and this needs to stop soon."

Mel tightened her fingers around Roman's wrist, a sick feeling developing in the pit of her stomach. This was exactly what she had feared; Roman was working himself up into a frenzy and swearing vengeance against the Authority. She was already regretting telling him who had struck him. "Roman, don't do this," she pleaded. "Think about it. If you go after the Authority, they'll make our lives a living hell. This is our boss we're talking about. What he did was terrible and I hate him for it, but I love my job, and I love you. I don't want to lose either of those things. Please."

Roman studied her, his eyes burning with some emotion that she couldn't identify. She could see that he was moved by what she had said, but she couldn't tell if he was moved enough not to go through with this. She said a silent prayer that he would see how foolish it was.

"So we just give up?" he asked softly. "We just let them have their way? That's like giving in to a five-year-old who's throwing a temper tantrum. If we let them push us around, they're only going to keep doing it. We deserve better than that. We all deserve better. It's about damn time that someone stood up and told the Authority to take their dumbass slogan and shove it up their asses. No one assaults me and gets away with it. Not to mention the fact that they've given you hell multiple times as well. I say no more. I'm done. I'm going to bury all of them into the ground, and I'm going to enjoy it."

"Roman, you're not listening to what I'm saying. If you go through with this, we're going to have huge targets painted on our backs. You need to understand that doing this not only affects you, but it affects me too. I don't want to get caught up in a war."

Roman gave her a look that was almost disappointed, and it suddenly struck Mel how ridiculous she sounded. Roman had been almost killed by Hunter, and here she was telling him not to do anything about it. Wasn't she the same person who always encouraged Roman to do what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it? Wasn't she the one who suggested who put laxatives in Hunter and Stephanie's coffee? Who was she kidding. She was already just as involved in this as he was. What was the point in avoiding it?

"I'm sorry," Roman said, his eyes darting away from her to fix on the wall straight ahead of him. "I know you won't approve, but this is something that I have to do. If you don't want to get caught up in it, then I suppose you'll just have to leave me."

He sounded so stubborn that she started to laugh, and he looked at her in surprise, clearly confused as to what was funny about the situation.

Mel managed to control herself, and she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going to leave you. If you're set on doing this, then so am I. We're in this together, Roman. We always have been. I knew what I signed up for when I started dating you. It was stupid of me to act like that. You and I have done worse things before. I guess starting a war isn't that bad."

Roman smiled brightly, clearly delighted that she was on board with the idea. "Alright," he said, his eyes flashing with anticipation. "As soon as I get out of here, we're going to show the Authority that they messed with the wrong people. But first, we'll need some help."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The Authority's treatment of Roman only grew worse with each passing day. After he came back to work, Hunter put him in extremely taxing matches that pushed him to the limits of his already fragile health. It made Mel furious, and she had already gone off on Stephanie multiple times. Of course, that hadn't helped her relationship with the youngest McMahon, but she didn't really care. Her first priority was keeping Roman out of harm's way. If it came at the cost of her own career, then so be it.

About a week after Roman's return, Mel was stretching in the hallway outside her locker room before Raw, trying to work the kinks out of her tired muscles. She had her earbuds in and was jamming out to her favorite music, when suddenly a pair of immaculately clean black heels appeared right next to her stretched-out leg. Mel paused for a brief moment, knowing exactly who the shoe belonged to, and trying to compose herself. She slowly removed her earbuds and looked up, disgust flowing through her as soon as she laid eyes upon that face that she hated so much. "Stephanie."

Stephanie gave her a smile that was about as friendly as a hungry shark's, and she folded her arms over her tailored, professional-looking black blazer. "Melissa. Getting ready for your match, I see?"

Mel ground her teeth painfully together, trying not to reveal how irked she was. Everyone knew that she hated to be called by her full name of Melissa. The first day that she had arrived in the WWE, she had made sure to tell everyone to call her Mel or Melly. Stephanie had done it for the sole purpose of irritating her, and she didn't want to give the bitch the satisfaction of seeing that it had worked.

Keeping her face and voice neutral, Mel focused on stretching her leg before saying, "Yes, I am. Is there a reason that you bothered me, because I'd rather be alone while I get ready." The sharpness of her tone suggested that what she was really telling Stephanie was to fuck off.

There was no doubt that Stephanie picked up on that, but she was just as good as Mel at keeping a flat face. "See, I would have left you alone, but I have something that I need to tell you," the brunette woman said almost sweetly. "It's something very important."

Mel sighed, giving up on stretching and tucking her legs underneath her so she was sitting cross-legged. She looked up at Stephanie, tucking some of her straightened brown hair behind her ear. "Cut the bullshit, Stephanie. What do you want?"

A small flicker of annoyance passed over Stephanie's face for the briefest second, but then it was gone, to be replaced by that same predatory look. "Well, there's been a little change in plans."

Mel was immediately suspicious. There shouldn't be any changes, she had been feuding with Summer Rae for the past couple of weeks. The animosity between them was supposed to boil over during their tag match later in the evening. None of this made any sense.

"Changes?" Mel repeated, not even attempting to hide the suspicion in her voice. "What kind of changes?"

"Your tag match with Summer tonight? That's not happening anymore."

Mel just stared at her, so much anger bubbling up inside of her that she was sure she was about to explode. She pushed herself up off of the floor and straightened up so that she was looking Stephanie right in the eye. "So you're taking my match away? Fine, whatever. Take it. I'll just go back to the hotel and wait for my boyfriend to come back."

Mel spun in her heel, ready to march back into her locker to and change out of her gear. However, the sound of Stephanie's cold laughter made her stop and turn back around.

"Take your match away? Oh, no, no. I didn't take it away. I just adjusted it a bit." Stephanie gave her a sadistic smile, one that put the Big Red Monster, Kane, to shame.

"What are you talking about?" Mel demanded, curling her hands into fists by her sides.

"I decided that tag matches are boring," Stephanie said, waving a hand dismissively. "So I spiced it up a little. It's nothing big, just something to give it a little more flavor."

Mel had grown impatient, and she snapped, "Just tell me already!"

Stephanie gave her a toothy smile. "You're going to be participating in a one-on-eleven handicap match!"

Stephanie leaned in very close, her face only inches away from Mel's. She smiled that sick smile one more time.

"Guess who the one is?"

"You bitch!"

Mel lunged at Stephanie, intending to knock that goddamn smile off of her face. Unfortunately, Stephanie seemed to have been prepared for the whole thing, because she whipped a piece of paper out of her blazer pocket and held it out in front of her as if it were a shield. "Uh-uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," she warned the petite Diva, waving the piece of paper. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's a fucking piece of paper, and it's not going to stop me from kicking your ass," Mel snarled, stalking forward like a lioness.

"Wrong. It's not just any piece of paper," Stephanie told her. "It's your precious boyfriend's contract. And if you come any closer..."

Stephanie withdrew a Bic lighter from her pocket as well, and as Mel watched she flipped it open and struck a flame. She slowly lowered the corner of the paper toward the dancing flame, which reached for it as if it wanted to embrace it.

Mel got the message loud and clear: Stand up for herself against the boss from hell and get her boyfriend fired, or go out there and take an asskicking and save his career.

"The choice is all yours," Stephanie crooned, lowering the paper closer to the flame. Mel saw the corner of it start to curl and blacken.

"I'll do it," she said quietly. Despite the fact that she had essentially just sold her soul to the devil, she could at least save what shreds of dignity she had left and not beg.

Stephanie smirked with satisfaction. "Good girl." She snapped the lighter shut and put it back in her pocket, and then she folded Roman's contract up and stuck that in there as well. "Good luck out there. Break a leg."

Stephanie cackled as she walked by, purposefully slamming her shoulder into Mel's, hard enough to cause her to stumble. She steadied herself with a hand against the cool brick wall and closed her eyes, trying to erase the pounding in her head.

_The things I do for love._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

By the time the one-on-eleven handicap match rolled around, Mel had convinced herself that she was going to kick Stephanie's ass after she took the beating. It was a nice thought, but in reality she knew that she could never actually carry the fantasy out. Stephanie had made it very clear that if she stepped out of line, Roman would pay the price, and Mel couldn't allow that to happen. After she had almost lost him, she had made Roman her first priority. She would do whatever it took to ensure that he was safe, in both his health and career.

Mel made her entrance first, looking much more subdued than she usually did. The crowd picked up on it, and they were almost silent as she made her way to the empty ring. It felt almost like a death march, and she half-expected trumpets to start blaring somber music. She had brooded on how much this was going to hurt to try and prepare herself for it, but it hadn't helped at all. It still felt like her tummy was tied in knots, and she felt an intense need to spin on her heel and sprint out of the arena.

She climbed between the ropes and hopped up on all four turnbuckles, waving to the crowd and forcing a weak smile. She then jumped down and leaned up against the ropes, waiting for her opponents to make their way to the ring.

The first person to emerge was AJ Lee, the Divas' Champion. She skipped her way down the ramp, eyeing Mel with a sort of odd sympathy. She stepped into the ring and held up her title, her fans sending up cheers for her.

Next came Naomi and Cameron, then Natalya. After them came Summer Rae, Paige, and Layla, and then Nikki Bella, Aksana, and Rosa. Last to arrive was Eva Marie, who the crowd greeted with raucous boos.

When all of the Divas were packed into the ring, Stephanie McMahon's music blared throughout the arena. The crowd immediately started jeering at her, the sounds growing louder as she stepped out onto the stage. She held a microphone in her hand, and Mel fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Hello ladies," Stephanie said into the mic, her voice booming through the speakers. "Now I know you're all eager to begin your match, but I just have a quick announcement to make."

"Oh, enough with all of the goddamn announcements," Mel mumbled under her breath. She was really starting to lose her patience with Stephanie. She couldn't even let the match start, which was only making the stress that Mel was feeling so much worse.

AJ was leaning against the ropes to the left of her, and she shot Mel an amused look, letting her know that she had heard her. There was no love lost between the Divas' Champion and Stephanie, as the two had gotten into a very personal confrontation a few months back. For a moment, Mel felt a flicker of hope spark to life in her heart. Maybe AJ would prove to be an ally.

"The first person to pin Mel becomes the number one contender to the Divas' Championship and gets to face the champion at the next pay-per-view," Stephanie announced, a cruel smirk twisting the corners of her mouth.

In an instant, eleven Divas were all staring directly at her, hunger in their eyes. It was like Stephanie had thrown a bunch of lions into a pen and was dangling a juicy steak above their heads.

Mel looked to AJ, her only possible friend in this bad situation, but she knew as soon as she saw the look on AJ's face that the tiny Diva wasn't going to be able to help her. If AJ pinned her first, then she wouldn't have to defend her precious title at the next pay-per-view, and that was more important than helping Mel avoid a vicious beating. She was all alone.

The bell rang, and in an instant Mel was surrounded by catty women. She couldn't see anything; they were all swarming her, each one of them attempting to get a piece of her. Someone's hand tangled in her hair and yanked hard, causing her head to snap back and pain to explode in her scalp. A booted foot nailed her in her ribs, and another foot swept her legs out from under her. Now she was laying on her back on the mat, panicking as hands hit her and feet stomped on her.

The crowd was in an uproar, three-quarters of the fans in attendance outraged over the unfairness of the match that the bubbly Diva had been put in. No one could see her through the crowd of Divas that had surrounded her. It was a feeding frenzy.

Mel felt like she couldn't breathe. They had her pinned down, with nowhere to go. Every time that she tried to fight back, someone would push her right back down. Her whole body ached, and her vision was going black at the edges.

Suddenly, a heavily-accented voice screamed, "Stop! Stop it!"

The stomping and hitting slowed to a halt, and then the women all slowly backed up, forming a ragged ring around Mel, who lay gasping on the canvas.

Paige took a few quick steps forward and knelt down by her, her thick black hair hanging down. "Up you go," she murmured, putting Mel's arm over her shoulders and helping her to stand. Mel uttered a little whimper of pain, but she managed to stay on her feet.

Paige fixed her eyes on the other Divas, anger burning deep in them. "Have you no shame?" she demanded in her thick British accent. "There's no honor in attacking a person when you outnumber them, especially not when they're unable to defend themselves. I didn't want to participate in this match in the first place, and I'm sure as hell not going to stand back and watch the lot of you bludgeon her."

The other Divas exchanged anxious and almost guilty looks, except for Cameron, who flipped her dyed blonde hair before stepping forward. "Getting a title shot is way more important than that little girl," she said snottily, glowering at Mel before returning her gaze to Paige. "Now take a step back, honey. We have business to finish."

Paige's jaw tightened at that. "Honey?"

While those two were getting heated, Mel looked around at the other Divas. It was clear that sides were beginning to form, with Naomi, Nikki, and surprisingly Summer stepping over to stand with her and Paige. The others stayed on the other side of the ring, preferring to help themselves to a title shot instead of helping Mel. The only person who hadn't chosen sides was AJ, who was leaning up against the turnbuckles, watching it all unfold with a calculating look in her eyes.

Suddenly, it was as if some unspoken signal had happened, and the two sides crashed into each other. Naomi kicked Cameron in the side of the head, fed up with her bitchiness. Nikki took on both Eva Marie and Aksana, while Summer fought off Layla. Paige released Mel so that she could attack Natalya, and suddenly Rosa stood in front of her. Mel steadied herself against the ropes, weak but still able to fight.

Rosa swung at her, but Mel saw it coming and ducked, and when Rosa was off-balance, she gave her a hard shove. Rosa stumbled and fell, and Mel seized her by her caramel hair and yanked her out of the ring, giving her a hard kick for good measure.

When Mel looked up, the rest of the Divas had cleared out of the ring. Cameron, Eva, Aksana, Layla, Natalya, and Rosa lay on the floor, holding various body parts. Naomi, Nikki, and Summer were down there as well, standing among them and panting. Paige and AJ were still in the ring with her.

AJ hadn't moved during the whole scuffle, but now she stepped forward, her head tilted to one side. Her eyes flicked from Paige to Mel and back again, but her face didn't betray what was going through her head.

Paige moved so that she was standing in front of Mel, presumably shielding her from the Divas' Champion AJ halted and stared at Paige, looking a little pissed off.

Mel was curious as to what AJ wanted, so she started to walk forward, intending to hear her out. Paige placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. Mel went to shrug her off, about to tell her that it was okay.

Suddenly, Paige seized her roughly and delivered her finishing move, the Paige Turner. Mel was caught off guard, and so she didn't have time to react. Her head smacked into the mat, and she lay there dazed. She saw AJ run forward, but Paige backhanded her in the face, causing her to fly backwards. Paige's weight was on top of Mel all of a sudden, and she dimly heard the bell ring, signaling the end of the match.

Paige's music blared throughout the arena, and she jumped up, laughing to herself. She had won the title shot. She rolled out of the ring and backed up the ramp, smirking at the ring, where Mel lay paralyzed. The other Divas eyed the Brit enviously, although a few, like Naomi and Summer, looked disgusted at the low tactics that Paige had used.

Mel slowly pushed herself to her hands and knees, and she sat back, struggling to hold in the tears that were forming in her hazel eyes. She had believed that Paige was her ally, and she had turned right around and betrayed her. She had been so, so stupid. She pushed a hand through her thick brown hair and looked down at the canvas.

A pair of Chuck Taylors stepped into her line of sight, and Mel slowly lifted her head to see AJ standing there, looking down at her. There was a red mark on her cheek where Paige had smacked her, and her chocolate hair was tousled. They stared at each other for a moment, and then AJ slowly stuck out her hand.

Mel hesitated for a moment, not wanting to place her trust in someone again. But something made her reach out and take AJ's hand anyway. Maybe it was the part of her that just needed someone to hang onto.

AJ pulled Mel to her feet, and the two Divas stood side by side, leaning on each other for support as they watched Paige back up the ramp.

* * *

When Mel got backstage, she was immediately assaulted by a huge Samoan. Roman grabbed her and pulled her into his chest, holding her tight. Mel closed her eyes, the heat of his body causing her to relax. Her muscles throbbed, and it felt like someone had placed her head in a vice.

Roman pulled back a little, and he placed his fingers under her chin and gently lifted her head so that she was looking him in the eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice unnaturally quiet.

Mel nodded, fighting the urge to wince when the movement jarred her neck. "I'm fine," she whispered hoarsely. In all honesty, she was far from fine, but she didn't want Roman to worry. She had chosen to take the beating, and she didn't regret it. Roman still had his job, and he was safe. That was all that mattered.

The look on Roman's face seemed to say that he knew she was lying, but he didn't say anything about it. Instead he took her by the hand and led her back to his locker room. As soon as they were inside, he locked the door and guided her over to the couch up against the wall, helping her to sit down.

Mel looked up at him, and she could tell that she was about to get a lecture. She leaned back against the cushions, studying the way that his muscles shifted under his bronze skin appreciatively. Everything about him was perfect; he was like a god.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Roman asked, pacing in front of her. "Why would you agree to a one-on-eleven handicap match? That's suicide."

Mel chewed her lower lip. She didn't want to set Roman off by telling him that Stephanie had threatened his career if she didn't agree to the match, but she also knew that she couldn't lie to him. "I had no choice," she said finally, rubbing a sore spot on her right thigh.

"No choice?" Roman repeated. He turned to look at her, suddenly seeming to figure out what had occurred. "What did that bitch do?"

"Nothing," Mel said softly. "Not yet, anyway. I made sure of that."

Roman knelt down in front of her, placing his hands on her knees. His touch soothed her, and she suddenly felt her mind become clear. "What happened?"

"She threatened to destroy your contract if I didn't agree to the match…" Mel whispered, caving in under the softness of his touch. "I couldn't let her do that...I have to protect you…"

Roman took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead very gently. For a moment he didn't say anything, he just leaned his forehead against hers. "We can't let this continue," he said quietly. "We have to do something."

Mel looked into his eyes, her hands coming up to cradle his face. "I know," she murmured, kissing his lips softly. "I agree with you. I just have one condition."

"Name it."

Mel caressed his cheek with her thumb, her eyes gleaming. "Stephanie and Paige are mine."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_When Mel passed through the curtain, the first thing she noticed was that the arena lights were extremely bright. She was tempted to put a hand up to shield her eyes, but she knew that she had to stay focused. This was her first match in NXT since she had accepted the developmental contract the WWE had offered her, and she was extremely nervous, but also excited to begin this new journey. She wanted to prove that she could hold her own here._

_Her opponent for the night was the fierce Diva known as Sasha Banks. She stood in the ring with her slender arms crossed, watching Mel approach with an almost bored look on her pretty face. Her red and gold gear gleamed under the spotlights, and she looked like a goddess. Mel suddenly felt very small and insignificant next to her. _

_Mel climbed into the ring and stood in the opposite corner from where Sasha was, wearily studying her. Sasha looked fully capable of handling herself, and Mel knew from watching her matches that she was a very talented wrestler. It was going to be tough to show the higher-ups that she could go at the same pace as the veteran, but she was willing to try._

_Summer Rae and Charlotte Flair were standing outside the ring, supposedly there to provide "moral support" for their friend and teammate, Sasha. Mel wasn't buying any of that, however. She had a feeling that she was going to have to keep an eye on the two devious blondes._

_The bell rang, and Mel and Sasha locked up. Almost instantly, Sasha took her to the mat and applied a headlock, which Mel easily fought out of. As she was getting to her feet, Sasha delivered a swift kick to her abdomen, and she doubled over. Sasha seized her by her hair and whipped her sharply to the side, causing her to slam painfully into the canvas. Mel tried to ignore the burning pain in her scalp, and when Sasha bent over to grab her again, she swung her foot up and kicked her in the face. As the beautiful Diva stumbled backwards, Mel lashed out with her foot and swept her legs out from under her, causing her to fall over as well._

_The match went on for quite awhile, with the two women trading blow after vicious blow until finally, Sasha seized an exhausted Mel and prepared to deliver her finisher, the Bankrupt. Right before she hit it, Mel reversed it into a sleeper hold, clinging to the slender woman for dear life._

_Sasha struggled, attempting to break free, but eventually she fell to her knees. She groped blindly for the ropes, but she was right in the middle of the ring and unable to reach them. Her right hand started to quiver, and she waved it back and forth, until Mel was sure that she was about to tap out._

_Suddenly, hands seized her roughly and dragged her off of Sasha, and Mel saw Summer charging across the ring toward her. Charlotte tightened her grip around Mel's waist, and Summer drew her hand back, intending to smack Mel across the face. Right as her hand swung forward, Mel elbowed Charlotte in the ribs and ducked, causing Summer's hand to connect with Charlotte's cheek instead._

_As Charlotte staggered back, clutching the side of her face, Mel rolled out of the ring and backed up the ramp. The bell had rung, signalling the end of the match, and Brandi Rhodes announced that Mel had won the match by disqualification._

_Mel went backstage, feeling confident in how she presented herself in that match. She was met with a lot of praise from the other NXT wrestlers, and she was practically glowing with pride. _

_She was on her way back to the womens' locker room when she bumped into something solid. She looked up to see the man that she knew as Roman Reigns, one-third of the popular main roster stable called The Shield. He was wearing a baggy pair of black basketball shorts and a white tank top, and there was a pair of white headphones around his neck. His shoulder-length black hair was pulled up in a bun, and he gave her a friendly smile. _

"_Hi, you must be the newest Diva, Mel," he greeted her. "I saw your match just now. It was really good. You've got a lot of potential."_

_Mel just stared at him, her voice seeming to catch in her throat. Her eyes travelled up and down his lean form, taking in the muscles and smooth bronze skin. He was a work of art._

_Roman was still looking at her, waiting for her to answer. She gave a little jerk as she snapped out of the trance she had been in, and she gave him a shy smile. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you. I mean, someone of your caliber."_

_Roman chuckled. "My caliber? I would assume that you're talking about my wrestling ability and not my shocking good looks."_

_A flush spread across Mel's cheeks, and she suddenly felt very warm all over. "N-No, I meant your wrestling skill," she said hastily, and then she quickly backtracked once she realized what it had sounded like. "I mean, yes, you are very handsome. Er…" She trailed off, her face getting even more red. She decided that it was best to just stay quiet._

"_Don't worry about it, baby girl," he said smoothly. "I understood what you meant. I look forward to seeing you on the main roster. Hopefully you won't keep me waiting for too long." He gave her a wink and then pulled his headphones back up over his ears. He walked off down the hallway, and she watched him until he rounded the corner._

_As soon as he was gone, Mel leaned up against the wall and let out a puff of air. She could still feel herself blushing, and it felt like her insides had turned to mush. She had never felt this feeling before, and it was all because of Roman Reigns._

* * *

Mel opened her eyes and smiled to herself. She was laying in the big double bed in her hotel room, resting after her brutal one-on-eleven handicap match. Roman had insisted that she get some rest while he went into the bathroom to get a wet washcloth, and while he was gone, she had slipped into a flashback of the day that she had first met him. He had given her butterflies back then, and he still did now.

The bathroom door swung open, and Roman emerged, holding a washcloth. He crossed the room and gently pulled the sheets back from her sore body. "Here babe," he murmured, helping her to sit up. "Let me clean some of these cuts. I don't want any of them to get infected. You've been through enough pain already."

"Really, I'm fine," she started to protest, but one look from him silenced her. He started gently dabbing at the cuts on her arms and legs with the washcloth, pausing occasionally when she made a soft noise of pain.

She studied his face while he was taking care of her, trying to memorize every feature. She couldn't imagine ever being without him, and for the first time, the thought of marriage crossed her mind.

An impulse seized her, and she wrapped her fingers around Roman's wrist and gently plucked the washcloth from his grasp with her other hand. Then she slowly placed his hand on her upper thigh while she dropped the washcloth on the floor.

Roman looked up at her, his eyes locking on hers. For a moment they just looked at each other, both their minds racing.

"Are you sure?" Roman whispered.

Mel didn't respond with words. Instead she took his face in her hands and kissed him with everything that she had.

Roman's response was immediate. He climbed onto the bed and crawled over her without breaking the kiss, bracing himself on his arms so that he wouldn't crush her. Their kisses were sweet but passionate, and Mel's hands clenched the hem of his t-shirt. She gave it a little tug, and Roman broke the kiss briefly to help her get it off. She tossed it to the floor and then pulled him back to her, kissing him again as her fingers tangled in his hair.

His hands roamed her body, very gently so as not to put pressure on her bruises.. Mel arched her back each time his fingers found a place that felt good, and she slid her hands from his hair down to his shoulders and then to rest on his back, feeling his muscles flex under her fingertips.

Somewhere along the line, they lost the rest of their clothing, and Mel gently pulled his face back up to hers to press more kisses to his lips. In between their kisses, Mel whispered, "I'm ready...go on…"

Roman pulled back for a moment to look into her eyes, and then he kissed her one more time before placing his hands gently on her hips and pushing slowly into her.

Mel sucked in a sharp breath. It hurt a little, but she had expected it to. She had always heard that it hurt a girl's first time. It wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be though; there was pleasure mixed in with the pain.

Roman held very still for a moment, allowing her to adjust. He had seen the pain flash briefly across her face, and he didn't want to hurt her.

After about two minutes, Mel kissed him and nodded. He started to move, slowly at first and then with increasing speed. Mel's winces soon turned into gasps of pleasure, and she clung to him as they moved in sync with each other. Their moans and whimpers grew in intensity until they both reached the edge, and toppled over.

Afterwards, they lay tangled together in a sweaty heap, the only sounds in the room being their heavy breathing. Slowly they relaxed, and Mel lay her head on his chest, feeling more content than she ever had before. The waiting had been worth it.

"Baby, can I ask you something?" Roman murmured, running his fingers through her silky brown hair.

Mel leaned into his touch, her eyelids starting to droop. "Of course, love. You can ask me anything."

There was a moment's pause, and then Roman said, "Will you marry me?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Mel stared at Roman with wide eyes, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and it felt like it was about to come bursting out of her chest. When she had thought about marriage earlier, she certainly hadn't expected Roman to be on the same page. And yet here he was, asking her to marry him.

Roman was looking at her with hope burning in his eyes, waiting for her answer. He was extremely nervous, and he hid his shaking hands under the sheet. He was really hoping that he hadn't just screwed up their relationship by asking her to marry him when she wasn't ready to, but he really felt like they needed to take the next step.

Mel propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him, chewing her bottom lip. For a moment there was silence, and then she said, "Yes. Yes, of course I will."

Roman's face lit up like a spotlight, and he reached up and pulled her head down to his, kissing her deeply. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness; he had been so afraid that she was going to tell him no. Suddenly, a terrible thought struck him, and he pulled back and looked at her sadly. "I don't have a ring...I proposed to you, and I don't even have an engagement ring…"

The look of disappointment and embarrassment on his face broke her heart, and she kissed him once more before murmuring, "It's okay, I don't need one. You and I should be the only ones who know about this anyways. I like it this way."

"Are you sure?" he mumbled against her lips, not wanting her to be upset. "If you want a ring, just say the word and I'll get you one. Whichever one you'd like. It doesn't matter how expensive it is. I want the best for you."

Mel wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his, smiling. "I already have the best."

* * *

The first person that the two of them ran into at the arena later that night was none other than AJ Lee herself. The Divas' Champion was humming to herself as she cut up one of her t-shirts, making snips in various places. AJ was known for her uniquely designed shirts, and she always insisted on being the one to cut them. She had become a pro at it by now, knowing all the right places to make the cuts. The Divas title sat on the table next to her, the pink butterfly on the front glinting in the light.

AJ looked up when they approached, some brown hair that had escaped from her ponytail falling into her eyes. She gave a little wave with the scissors, causing Roman to jump back. AJ rolled her big brown eyes at that. "Oh come on, quit being a pansy. I'm not going to cut you."

"I don't know that for sure," he grumbled, sliding his arm around Mel's waist.

AJ scoffed, and then she eyed Mel. The two of them hadn't spoken since the one-on-eleven handicap match, but Mel hadn't forgotten how AJ had helped her up after Paige beat her down. She looked back at AJ, a little worried that the tiny Diva would blame her for Paige getting a shot at her title at the next pay-per-view.

"Hey Mel," AJ said simply, sounding nice enough. "How are your wounds?" She made another cut with the scissors as she spoke, chewing on the inside of her lip in concentration. "You looked like you got beat up pretty badly."

"Yeah, it definitely wasn't fun," Mel agreed, leaning into Roman's side. She could still feel the effects of the match on her body; her back was sore, as were her ribs. She was thankful that she didn't get a concussion, however. The thought of being unable to compete for a little while was devastating. Even if Stephanie was determined to ruin her career, she wasn't going to let that happen. She had her eye on the prize, and that was the butterfly belt that sat by AJ's side. "By the way, I never got to tell you thanks for helping me," she added, giving AJ a shy smile.

AJ glanced up at her, her eyes seeming to search Mel's. "No problem," she said, holding her sliced-up shirt up to the light and examining it. "I don't like it when catty bitches pick on people who are outnumbered."

"Yeah, me neither," Mel agreed.

"Come on babe," Roman murmured, intertwining his fingers with hers. "We have to go now. My match is next."

"Okay," Mel said brightly. She looked at AJ. "I'll see you around?"

"Yeah," AJ said, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Maybe next time we'll be able to kick some silicone ass together." She gave Mel a lopsided grin.

Mel grinned back at her. "Yeah, of course!"

AJ opened her mouth to say one last thing, but before she could, a masculine voice called out, "AJ!"

The three of them turned to see none other than CM Punk walking toward them. He hadn't changed much since he had left the WWE; his hair was a little longer, but other than that he looked and acted the same. He walked up to AJ and gave her a peck on the cheek before glancing at Roman and Mel curiously. "Hey Ro. Who's the girl?"

Roman took Mel by the hand and drew her forward. "This is the newest WWE Diva and my fiance, Mel," he announced proudly.

Both Punk and AJ's eyebrows shot up at that. "You didn't tell me you were marrying him," AJ told Mel, tilting her head to one side.

"It just happened earlier today," Mel giggled, leaning into Roman. "You two are the first to know."

"Congratulations," Punk said, patting Roman on the back. "That's a big commitment to make."

"Yeah, you would know," Roman laughed, pointing at the gold band on Punk's finger. "But you love AJ, and that's why you finally decided to settle down. We all thought we would never see the day that CM Punk gets hitched."

Punk glanced over at where AJ was chatting with Mel, his eyes softening noticeably. "Yeah, well, I never thought that she would come into my life and change my mind." He looked back at Roman. "Seriously though, man, if you need any help with anything, let me know. Planning a wedding can drive a guy crazy."

Roman rubbed his short beard, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Well actually, there is one thing...do you know a good place to get engagement rings?"

Punk's brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought you two already got engaged?"

"Shh, keep your voice down," Roman hushed him, looking around to make sure that Mel couldn't hear them. "I didn't have an engagement ring when I asked her to marry me, and she said that it was fine, but I want her to have a ring. I know she wants one, she keeps checking out AJ's wedding ring over there. I want her to be happy, so I want to get her one. Do you know a good place?"

"Umm…" Punk got that look on his face that said he was thinking.

"Did I hear you say that you need an engagement ring?"

The two men turned to see Mike Mizanin approaching, otherwise known as The Miz. He was wearing his ring gear, and the sweat that shone on his tan skin told them that he had just finished a match.

"Well?" Mike prompted when the two of them just continued to stare at him.

"Oh, yeah, I did," Roman said, snapping out of it.

"I know a good place. It's where I bought Maryse's engagement ring. Here…" Mike took out a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled down the address to a local jewelry shop. "This place has some beautiful stuff," he said, handing the piece of paper to Roman.

"Thanks, man," Roman said gratefully.

"No problem. Mel is a sweet girl, and you seem to really care about her. I wish you two the best." Mike gave a wave before heading off to change.

Roman looked down at the slip of paper gleefully. He couldn't wait to surprise Mel.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

After Raw had ended, AJ, Punk, Mel, and Roman all walked out to the parking lot together. Roman was tired after a tough tag team match that he had been in, so he was lagging a little behind AJ and Punk. Mel dropped back to walk with him, not wanting him to be by himself.

When they reached their rental cars, Roman suddenly grew more alert, and he straightened up and called out to Punk. "Hey man, you wanna go get some drinks or something? You know, just the two of us?"

Punk gave him a confused and slightly irritated look. "I'm straight edge, Roman. I don't drink. You know that."

"They have soda at bars too, dumbass," Roman retorted, tossing his bag into the trunk of the car. "Besides, I really think it's important that we go." He stared long and hard at Punk, trying to send him a mental message.

Punk just stared back at him for a second, and then the lightbulb clicked on over his head. "Oh! Yeah, you're right. We really should go. I haven't had a guys' night in forever. It would be fun."

Mel and AJ exchanged confused glances. Their guys were acting really weird, and they had no idea why. Roman never went to bars; he said that the taste for alcohol was something that he had never really acquired. Punk usually avoided bars for obvious reasons. The fact that Roman now suddenly wanted to go out after having a tiring match was even more baffling.

"Well if you guys are going out, then we should go out too," AJ chirped suddenly, looping her arm through Mel's. "After all, it's not fair if you guys get to go have fun and we have to sit around twiddling our thumbs and waiting for you. Melly and I will go on a shopping spree."

"Shopping spree?" Roman repeated, looking anxious at the thought of Mel spending a ton of money.

"Yes Roman, a shopping spree," AJ told him before Mel could say anything. "I know you had a rough match, but I didn't see you get hit in the head. You should be able to comprehend what I'm saying."

Roman scowled at her but didn't respond, and Punk looked like he didn't have any objections to the shopping idea.

"Great, good to know you both approve!" AJ exclaimed cheerily. "C'mon Melly, let's go! We have a lot to get done!" She dragged Mel away to her rental car before the rookie Diva could protest. She cast a look over her shoulder at Roman before being pushed into the passenger seat of the car.

"Relax," Punk said when he noticed the look on Roman's face. "They won't buy that much, I know AJ. She's not a materialistic girl. She'll probably just buy a few new pairs of Chuck Taylors, a Batman belt buckle, and some video games. Mel doesn't seem very high maintenance either, so I"m sure your credit card will be safe. Besides, this is exactly what you wanted. We got the girls out of our hair, so now we can go buy Mel that engagement ring you wanted to get her so badly."

Roman ran a weary hand over his face and nodded. "Yeah, that's true. I don't have anything to worry about, I know. I'm just not used to being apart from her for too long, that's all…"

Punk laughed. "Man, she's got you wrapped around her finger."

Roman shoved him playfully. "Shut up. You're one to talk. You let AJ do anything she wants, you sap."

The passenger door of AJ's rental car swung open suddenly, and Mel hopped out and ran across the parking lot. She jumped into Roman's arms and kissed him deeply. "I'll see you in a little bit, okay? I love you," she said sweetly. She wasn't used to being away from Roman for an extended period of time either; the thought made her a little anxious.

"Okay babe, have fun. I love you too."

AJ honked the car horn, and Mel hopped down and ran back over to the car. She got in, and the car pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared down the road.

"Okay, let's go get your girl a ring," Punk said, getting into his own car.

* * *

AJ and Mel wandered through the mall, looking into windows of stores that interested them and occasionally going inside. AJ bought a Batman necklace, and Mel bought a new bottle of perfume for herself and new pair of headphones for Roman , but otherwise they hadn't really found much that they liked.

They had reached the northern end of the mall when AJ seized Mel's wrist and pointed at a store. "Hey Melly, look!"

Mel looked at where AJ was pointing and felt her cheeks reddening. It was a bridal store, full of beautiful wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses.

"Let's go look inside!" AJ exclaimed. "We can look at stuff for your wedding!"

"No, AJ, I don't…" Mel trailed off as AJ dragged her into the store, seemingly oblivious to her feeble protests.

The dresses in the store really were very beautiful, but once Mel caught a glimpse of a price tag, it felt like she was going to have a heart attack. One of the dresses was eight hundred dollars. There was simply no way she could see herself buying an eight hundred dollar dress that she would only wear for one day. It seemed like such a waste of money.

"Hey Melly, what do you think?" AJ asked, holding up a short aqua bridesmaid dress to her petite frame. The hem of the dress fell to just above her knees, and there was a darker blue sash tied around the waist. It was very pretty and it popped against AJ's mocha skin and dark hair, but she didn't even want to ask how much it cost.

"I think it's a pretty color on you," a familiar voice said from behind her, and Mel turned to see a woman that she had only ever seen on TV before.

"Eve!" AJ exclaimed happily, skipping over to the beautiful former Diva, taking the bridesmaid dress with her. "It's so great to see you! What are you doing here?"

Eve smiled and tucked some of her caramel-colored hair behind her ear. "Oh, just browsing the dresses and imagining what my wedding will be like, if I ever have one."

"You don't have a boyfriend yet?" Mel asked miraculously. She couldn't believe that someone as gorgeous as Eve Torres would be single.

Eve gave her a sad smile. "I'm afraid not. You see, the man I love married someone else."

"Oh," Mel said softly, feeling sad for the ex-Diva. She was about to ask who it was, but then AJ cut in.

"Eve, this is Mel, our newest Diva and my friend," AJ introduced. "And Mel, I"m sure you know who Eve is."

"Of course I do," Mel said excitedly. "You were my favorite Diva, Miss Torres."

Eve smiled warmly. "Thank you, that means a lot. But please, call me Eve. Now, I know AJ is already married, so I'm guessing that you're the one who's looking for a wedding dress. Who's the lucky guy?"

"Roman Reigns," Mel told her, her cheeks reddening a bit.

Eve raised her eyebrows. "It would seem that you're a lucky girl too." She gave Mel a wink, which made her laugh.

"You're welcome to come to my wedding if you'd like," Mel said shyly. She wasn't sure if Eve would want to come, seeing as they had just met.

"I'd love to," Eve replied cheerfully.

"Great!" Mel exclaimed. "It's going to be a small wedding. Just me, Roman, Punk, AJ, Mike, and you."

Eve's eyes widened for just a second when Mel said 'Mike', but just as quickly her expression went back to normal. "That sounds cute," she smiled. "Do you see a dress you like?"

"Well, yes," Mel admitted, showing her the dress she had secretly fallen in love with. It was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline that had delicate beading along the top. It was long and flowy, with a train that trailed out behind. "It's eight hundred dollars though," she sighed.

"Excuse me?" Eve called to one of the salesladies. "Could we get some help over here?"

The woman came walking over, the name tag pinned to her shirt reading 'Lindsay'. "Yes? How may I help you?"

"I'd like to buy this dress," Eve said, pointing to the dress that Mel had just showed her.

"Eve?" Mel said, looking confused. "What are you doing?"  
"Getting you the wedding dress of your dreams," Eve told her. "It's your special day, you deserve to have everything you want."

Tears filled Mel's eyes, and she hugged Eve tightly. "Thank you so much, Eve."

"You're welcome Melly," Eve said, hugging her back.

* * *

"What do you think about this one?" Punk asked, pointing at a ring inside one of the display cases.

Roman glanced at it, but immediately shook his head. "No, I don't think she'd like that one. It has to be special, something that shows how much I care about her."

The two of them had been scouring the jewelry store for about an hour, searching for the right engagement ring. Roman had shot down suggestions from both Punk and the jeweler, not to be rude but because he wanted to find the best ring for the girl he loved.

Punk shrugged and continued looking. He knew what Roman was going through; he had been really picky when he was looking for a ring for AJ too.

A glint caught Roman's eye, and he peered through the glass at a ring that he had missed before. It had two silver bands that wound around each other, and a decent-sized diamond in the center. It wasn't anything flashy, but it wasn't plain either. It was perfect for Mel.

"Hey Punk?" he called over his shoulder. "I think I found the one."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"So did you have fun hanging out with AJ?" Roman asked later that night. He was sitting on the edge of the double bed in the room, watching as Mel rummaged around through the bags that she had brought home from the mall. She hadn't gone to too many places, which was a bit of a relief, but he had spotted a pink-and-white striped bag that could only be from Victoria's Secret, which definitely made him interested.

"Yeah, actually I did," Mel replied, pulling out the perfume bottle that she had bought. She unwrapped it from the colorful tissue paper the saleslady had put it in and sprayed a little on herself. It smelled like vanilla, her favorite scent. She carefully put the glass bottle on top of the dresser and went back to looking through the bags. She was searching for the new headphones that she had bought Roman, wanting to present him with them.

"So what's in the bag?" Roman asked, nodding toward the Victoria's Secret bag.

Mel glanced up from the bag she was looking through and followed his gaze. "Oh," she said, a smirk twisting the corners of her mouth. "You noticed that, huh?"

Roman nodded, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and lust. Mel never shopped at Victoria's Secret, so it meant that she had something special planned. He found himself wondering what she would look like in lingerie, and his mind began to wander.

"It's just a little something I picked up for after our wedding," she said, picking the bag up by the strings and swinging it slowly back and forth, watching his eye follow it. She tucked some hair behind her ear and set the bag back down. "But you don't get to see what's in it until then. I want it to be a surprise."

"Aw babe," he whined. "I hate it when you do that to me. You know I'm not a patient person." He wanted to know what was in that bag really, really bad. For a moment he contemplated snatching it from her and peeking inside, but he didn't want to ruin the surprise. She was obviously very set on saving it for the night of their wedding.

"I know, but you need to learn to be patient," she gently scolded him, taking the bag and placing it on the top shelf of her closet. She then returned to the pile of bags and continued moving them around.

Finally, she found the bag that contained Roman's headphones, and she held the box that contained them up triumphantly. "Hey babe," she said without turning around. "I bought a present for you while I was at the mall."

Roman looked up in surprise. He was holding a small black velvet box that he had pulled out of the pocket of his jeans. It contained Mel's engagement ring, and while he had been expecting to give it to her, he hadn't been expecting her to give him something too. "Oh yeah?" he said, hiding the velvet box under one of the pillows on the bed. "What is it?"

Mel turned around with the box in her hands, looking as proud as she possibly could. "I know you were talking about how your headphones weren't working as well as they used to, so when I was at the mall I looked for some new ones. And I got you these." She handed him the box a little shyly, hoping that he would like the color and style she picked out. "I didn't know what color you'd like, so I just got you black. I figured it would match your gear."

Roman examined the box and smiled, which made Mel relieved. "These are the really nice, expensive kind," he said, looking up at her. "You didn't have to do this for me, babe."

"I wanted to," Mel insisted, sitting down on the bed next to him. "You've done so much for me, and you treat me so well. I wanted to get you something that shows how much I appreciate it...and you."

Roman's eyes softened, and he kissed her forehead. "Thank you so much, baby girl. I love it. I'll use them all the time."

Mel smiled brightly, happy that he had liked her gift. "Great!"

She got up to go and change into her pajamas, and Roman looked down at his new headphones, trying to decide whether or not he should give her the ring now. He wanted it to be romantic; he didn't want to just thrust the ring in her face and tell her it was hers. He had to handle the situation with class and dignity.

Mel came back, wearing her favorite pajamas; green and blue plaid shorts and a blue tank top. She flopped down on her side of the bed and stretched out, yawning. "Oh gosh, I'm so sleepy."

Roman froze, his eyes going wide in horror. He had stuck the velvet box under Mel's pillow, and he had forgotten to move it. "Um, babe," he said, thinking fast. "Don't you have to brush your teeth?"

Mel gave him an odd look. "I already did, Ro."

"Oh." His mind raced as he tried to think of something else, but before he could, Mel lifted her pillow up, intending to fluff it up. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Mel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she noticed the box sitting there.

"What's this?" she asked, lifting the box up.

Roman blew out a puff of air. It was clear that the cat was out of the bag now. "Well babe," he said, pushing a few strands of his black hair out of his face. "This isn't exactly how I wanted to do this, but oh well. It can't be helped. Go ahead and open it."

Mel opened the box curiously, and her hazel eyes went wide when she saw the diamond ring inside. "Roman," she gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "What is this?"

"It's your engagement ring," he said, smiling a little at her reaction. "I know you said you didn't mind not having one, but it really bugged me. I want you to have whatever you desire, and I felt that you deserved an engagement ring, so I got the address of a good local jewelry store from Mike, and Punk and I went and picked one out."

A lightbulb seemed to go off above Mel's head "So...that's why you wanted Punk to go with you. You weren't going to a bar, you were going to a jewelry store."

"Right," Roman confirmed. "I wanted his help because he picked out a ring for AJ, so I figured he'd have experience."

Mel looked down at the ring, her eyes teary. She carefully lifted the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger. "Oh Ro...it's so beautiful." She took his face in her hands and kissed him. "Thank you so much."

"No," Roman murmured, wrapping her in his arms. "Thank you."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Mel gazed out of the round window of the private jet, watching white puffy clouds go by. She, Roman, AJ, Punk, Mike, and Eve were on their way to the Bahamas for Mel and Roman's wedding, and she was so excited she could barely contain herself. It had been her idea to get married in the Bahamas, and Roman had been more than willing to make that happen. He had made a call to his cousin, The Rock, and he had agreed to lend them his private jet for the occasion. So now here they were, flying over the beautiful blue ocean toward their perfect beach wedding.

Roman was snoozing in the seat next to her, his new headphones pulled up over his ears. Across the aisle sat AJ and Punk, and behind them were Mike and Eve. Mel had offered them two of the single seats, but to her surprise they had opted to sit together. Now they sat closer together, leaning toward each other as they talked in soft voices. Mel watched them curiously, wondering what they were talking about.

AJ and Punk were all cuddled up, and Mel felt a slight pang of sadness when she saw how cute they were being. She wanted to snuggle with Roman, but her man was fast asleep and she didn't want to wake him. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, and she wanted him to get some rest.

Roman shifted in his sleep suddenly, and his hand covered hers where it rested on the armrest. Mel felt a surge of affection and warmth, and intertwined her fingers with his. She had no idea what she would do without him, and she couldn't wait to become his wife.

The jet landed a few hours later, and they all filed off of it with their luggage. The sun was so bright that Mel had to pause to dig her sunglasses out of her bag, and she slid them on and looked around. The sand was a startling white, and the ocean was so clear that she could see fish swimming around under the surface. Palm trees waved in the distance, stirred by a warm breeze. It definitely felt like paradise.

Roman slid an arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her temple. "Is this where you pictured having our wedding?" he murmured into her ear.

Mel smiled brightly and nodded, leaning into his side. "Yes. It's perfect."

* * *

"I'm a little scared, guys."

Eve looked up from where she was pinning her long caramel hair up into a messy bun, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "How come?" she mumbled between bobby pins that she held in her teeth.

Mel took a deep breath and looked into the wall-to-ceiling mirror in front of her, her hands trembling a little. Her wedding dress fit her every curve perfectly, and the skirt flowed to the floor. The light glittered off of the beads that lined the sweetheart neckline, and Eve had styled her brown hair so that it fell over one shoulder in shiny chocolate waves. A glittery pin held it in place. She looked like a completely different person.

"I don't know," the bride said softly. "I just...everything is happening so fast…"

"Getting cold feet, Melly?" AJ piped up from behind her, where she was zipping up her dress.

"A little," Mel admitted.

AJ walked around so that she was standing in front of Mel. She planted her hands on her narrow hips and cocked her head to one side, her big brown eyes studying her. She looked stunning in the blue bridesmaid dress that she had picked out at the bridal store, and her thick black hair was curled and fell a little past her shoulders. "Do you love Roman?"

"Yes," Mel answered immediately.

"Does he love you?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to marry him?"

"Yes, more than anything."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." AJ gave her a bright smile. "This is the biggest day of your life so far, girlie. Enjoy it."

Mel felt all of her hesitation and fear melt away, and she smiled back. "Thank you, AJ."

"No problem," AJ replied, giving her a warm hug and then turning her around so she could pin her veil into place.

A knock sounded on the door to the hotel room, and Eve went over to answer it, making sure to only open it a crack so that Mel couldn't be seen. She spoke to someone on the other side, and then she shut the door and turned to Mel and AJ. "It's time."

* * *

Roman stood on the beach, beneath a canopy of flowers that had been strung overhead. The ocean lapped at the shore quietly, creating a soothing rhythm in the background. He wasn't used to wearing a tux, but he didn't mind this one time. To his left stood Punk, his best man, who was wearing a tux with a blue tie, the same color as the dresses of the bridesmaids, who stood to his right. AJ and Eve held small bouquets of white lilies and stood waiting, looking as excited as he was. There was a white lily tucked into AJ's hair as well, to distinguish her as the Maid of Honor.

Mel hadn't wanted any music to play when she made her way down the aisle-or in this case, the beach-and so he didn't have any warning for when she was going to arrive until he looked up and saw her approaching, and his breath caught in his throat.

Mel walked slowly down the beach, the train of her dress trailing out in the sand behind her. She carried a bouquet of white lilies and red roses, and a warm breeze blew her long veil out behind her. Mike was with her, having agreed to be the one to walk her down the aisle since her parents weren't around. She reached Roman, and smiled warmly when she saw the awe on his face. He held his hand out, and she took it immediately.

The soft sound of the ocean continued on beneath the low tones of the preacher's voice as he conducted the ceremony. When the time came for the vows, Mel and Roman each pulled out a piece of paper that had been folded over a couple of times. They had used the time that they were on the jet to write their own vows to each other, and they were both excited to hear what the other person had written.

"Mel," Roman began, getting his unfolded first. "When I first met you, I thought that you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Everything about you is perfect, and every day that I wake up next to you I think about how I'm the luckiest man in the world. I love you more than words could ever explain, and the fact that I'm marrying you right now seems so surreal. I would say that this is the happiest day of my life, but every day that I spend with you is the happiest day of my life. I love you, and I always will love you."

Mel wiped away the tears that had been falling down her cheeks and looked down at her piece of paper. "Roman," she read. "The last two years of my life, I have spent getting to know you. Our friendship quickly grew into something more, and here we are, moments away from becoming husband and wife. I know that we have had our moments, but those moments of weakness make us stronger. You took my breath away the very first time we met, and you still do to this day. You're my best friend, my Samoan Superman, my soon to be husband, and hopefully one day, I'm lucky enough to call you the father of my children. I loved you from the moment I met you, and I will love you forever."

When the time came to say "I do", they each said the two words that would bind them together without any hesitation. They smiled at each other after they both said it, holding each others' hands tightly.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the preacher announced. "You may kiss the bride."

Roman pulled Mel into his arms and kissed her deeper than he had ever kissed her before, joy at being married to the woman he loved exploding throughout his body.

After the ceremony, the six of them sat around a bonfire on the beach, talking and laughing. Mel was snuggled into Roman's arms, listening to the steady beat of his heart. He had taken the jacket of his tux off so he was only wearing the white shirt underneath, and the top buttons were undone. She could see the top of his tattoo, and she touched it lightly with her fingertips. Roman smiled and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Can I get a tattoo like yours?" Mel murmured, looking up at him with loving hazel eyes.

"Of course," Roman said, kissing her forehead. "You're part of the family now."

Mel smiled brightly at that, and then she looked around the fire at everyone else. Punk and AJ were joking around with each other, looking as happy as they could be. Eve and Mike were talking in low voices, sitting very close to each other. As Mel watched, she saw Eve lightly touch his hand, a gesture that was so small that it would have been unnoticeable had she not been watching. It seemed almost intimate, as if she had done it a million times before. Suddenly, it struck her that the man Eve had been talking about in the bridal shop was Mike.

As if to confirm her sudden realization, Eve and Mike stood up suddenly. "I'm feeling a little tired, so Mike is going to walk me back to my room," Eve explained, bending down to hug Mel and kiss Roman on the cheek. "It was a beautiful wedding, guys. Congratulations."

They left, and shortly after that Punk and AJ said goodbye as well. They exchanged hugs, and then they went back to their hotel room and Roman took Mel to a small hut on the water, where they would be spending their honeymoon. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her inside, and Mel leaned her head against her new husband's chest and smiled.

Roman set her down on the large white bed, pushing aside the white canopy that was attached above the bed. Mel giggled and pulled him down on top of her by his tie, still wearing her wedding dress. She kissed him deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you, Mr. Reigns," she whispered against his lips.

"I love you too, Mrs. Reigns," Roman whispered back. "Forever."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The moonlight was drifting in through the flowy curtains that covered the open windows, bringing with it a warm breeze. The air washed over Mel's body, causing her to stir. She was laying on her stomach, the sheets tangled around her waist and legs. For a moment she was disoriented, and then her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she spotted the big heap of white fabric that was her wedding dress laying on the floor across the hut. When she looked harder, she saw Roman's white shirt, tie, pants, and shoes scattered all over the place as well. A blush crept over her cheeks when she remembered what they had done after their wedding, and her hand crept up her neck, her fingers brushing over a hickey, causing her to blush even more.

Mel turned her head to the left, reaching up to push her wild hair out of her eyes at the same time. The first thing she saw was Roman's chiseled chest, which was rising and falling slightly with each breath. The moonlight washed over his arms, illuminating the huge tribal tattoo that stretched the length of his right arm. His head was turned away from her so that all she could see was his thick black hair.

She lay there and gazed at him, thinking about how perfect he was. The fact that she was now married to him still blew her mind. She couldn't believe that he was all hers, for as long as they both would live. It felt just like she had imagined it to be. She propped herself up on an elbow and stretched out a hand, lightly brushing her fingers over his tattoo. When he didn't move, she started to trace all of the lines, but they were so tightly interwoven that she always lost the one she was following. She had never realized exactly how much detail was in his tattoo until she was face to face with it, and it fascinated her.

She thought back to what she had said earlier, about getting a tattoo that matched Roman's. Maybe she would get it on her shoulder blade, and then get a different one on the inside of her wrist. She had always wanted a tattoo, but her parents hadn't approved. Then again, they hadn't approved of a lot of the things that she did.

Roman shifted a little, surprising Mel and causing her to pull her hand back. He turned his head so that he was looking at her, and his brown eyes immediately softened. "Hey baby girl," he murmured, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

Mel smiled and placed a kiss on his palm. "Hey you. I thought you were never going to wake up."

"Sorry babe, I was in that post-sex coma," he joked, sitting up a little and causing the sheets to pool around his waist. He stretched his arms over his head, the muscles in his back flexing. Mel stared, trying not to drool all over the place. "What time is it?" he yawned.

Mel reached over and plucked her iPhone from the nightstand, pressing the power button in order to turn the screen on. "3 am," she informed him, rubbing her eyes. She was still a little sleepy, and she wasn't quite sure what had woken her in the first place. She supposed it had been the breeze from the windows, but if she shut them the room would get too hot and stuffy. Unfortunately their little hut hadn't come with a ceiling fan.

Roman blinked. "Well damn. We should both still be asleep. Usually the only time we're up this early is if we have a plane to catch."

"Uh-huh," she agreed, plopping back onto her stomach. Her body ached all over, but in the best way possible. She loved the feeling that she got after being with Roman. It was like she was floating on a bed of clouds, and she had no intention of ever coming down. She had no idea what doing drugs was like, but if they made someone feel like this all the time, then she could see why people got addicted.

"Or we could do other things…" Roman suggested, trailing a hand down her bare back, causing goosebumps to rise along her tanned skin. His touch always did that, but for some reason it was extra electric tonight. Maybe it was because it was the first night they were spending as husband and wife.

"Haven't you had enough of that?" Mel giggled, knowing exactly what the answer would be but wanting to hear it nonetheless.

Roman smirked, tracing her spine with his fingertips. "Babe, I could never get enough of you."

Mel rolled over onto her back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Come on then," she whispered, her face close to his.

Roman crashed his lips into hers, and she tightened her arms around his neck as she kissed him. He wasted no time, and soon they were tangled up in the sheets again, a mass of sweaty limbs. Mel snuggled into his side, laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes. Yep, being married to him was the best thing ever.

Roman drifted off to sleep immediately, tired out once again. Mel quickly followed suit, dozing off as his heart beat steadily beneath her ear.

* * *

When they returned to the United States a few days later, the first thing they did was go straight to the arena that Raw was being held in that night. The Authority had put them both on the card as if to spite them, so Roman had a tag team match and Mel had a handicap match against Paige and Cameron. Word had gotten around that they had just been married, and a lot of the girls backstage looked at Mel in a new light. She knew from AJ that they all thought she was using Roman to propel herself to the top, which was a load of bullshit. They were all just jealous that Roman was her husband, not theirs.

Mel was stretching in her locker room when a knock sounded on the door. It couldn't be Roman because he had just gone out to the ring for his match, so she figured it was AJ. She got up off of the floor and walked over, reaching out and turning the handle.

When she saw who was standing on the other side of the door, her first instinct was to slam the door shut again. Unfortunately for her, the other person was too fast, and stuck their foot in the way so the door wouldn't close.

"Now Mel, is that any way to treat your boss?" Stephanie McMahon asked, giving her a cool smile. "Let me in."

As much as she didn't want to, Mel took a step back and allowed Stephanie to enter, a feeling of unease already beginning to settle in the pit of her stomach. Whenever Stephanie came around, it usually meant bad news for her.

"I just wanted to swing by and congratulate you on your wedding," Stephanie said nonchalantly, picking up Mel's perfume bottle and examining it. "And to also give you a little word of advice."

Mel snatched the bottle away from her. "I don't need any advice from you."

"Oh, but you do," Stephanie insisted, smoothing out the wrinkles on her black pencil skirt. "You see, from one wife to another, you need to watch your back now. The other girls see you as a threat, and you can't be sure who your real friends are."

Mel clenched her fists angrily. If Stephanie was trying to turn her against AJ, then she had another thing coming. "They should see me as a threat," she growled. "And so should you."

Stephanie's eyes hardened, and suddenly the air between them got tense. "What the hell does that mean?" she demanded, clearly not pleased by that.

"Think about it, Stephanie. Who do you think Vince is grooming to be the next top dog in the company?" Mel asked, crossing her arms over her chest and giving her a cocky smirk. "That's right, my husband. And when that happens, I'll be in the exact same position that you are right now. And I hold grudges."

"Is that a threat, you little bitch?" Stephanie hissed, taking a menacing step closer.

Mel stepped closer as well, unintimidated. She stood face-to-face with Stephanie, looking back into her furious eye without so much as batting an eyelash. "No," she said in a low voice, an echo of Roman coming through. "That's a promise."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

After the handicap match she'd had against Paige and Cameron (which she had surprisingly won), Mel walked back to her locker room, rubbing the back of her head. Paige had given her a stiff kick, and she didn't think it was an accident. It didn't matter though. She had paid her back when she drove her foot into her gut.

She was almost to her locker room when one of the other doors opened, and a hand shot out and seized her wrist. She let out a yelp as she was yanked back into the room, and the door abruptly slammed shut behind her.

Mel pulled as hard as she could against the hand around her wrist, and to her surprise it let go. She stumbled forward, reaching out to steady herself against a shelf and what looked like the handle of a mop. She blinked a couple of times, trying to adjust to the dim light, before spinning around to see who had grabbed her.

A slender figure was leaning up against the door, dressed in knee-high black boots, dark-washed jeans, and a black hoodie. The hood was pulled up so that the person's face was cast in shadow, the poor lighting in the janitor's closet not helping to reveal any features. As Mel watched, the figure stepped forward, reached up, and lowered the hood, a tumble of copper curls falling out.

Mel's hazel eyes went wide, and she said, "Eve?"

Eve pushed her hair back out of her eyes and gave Mel a weak smile. "Hey Melly. I'm sorry I had to grab you so roughly, but I can't exactly be seen here."

"Why not? You're a former Diva, you have friends here. What makes you think that you're not wanted here?" Mel asked, confused. Eve was like the backstage darling; everyone adored her. She was friends with everyone, and she didn't have any enemies. There was no reason for her to hide.

Eve shifted from one foot to the other, clearly on edge. She chewed her bottom lip, the confliction on her face displaying the inner fight that she was having with herself. After a moment, she sighed and said, "I can't let Maryse see me."

Mel frowned. "Maryse?"

Eve gave a little nod. "She came back from the tour she was doing for her new jewelry line today," she mumbled. "I can't let her see me."

Mel ran a hand through her brown hair, trying to work out what Eve was saying. "But why can't you let Maryse see you?" she asked. "It's not like you and Maryse are enemies or anything. And if you don't want to be seen by her, then why are you here?"

Eve shook her head and looked at the floor, her hands curling into fists by her sides. She squeezed her eyes shut, clearly chewing on what to say. Finally, she looked up at Mel and said, "I was here to see Mike. That's why I can't let Maryse see me."

For a moment Mel just stared at her, digesting what she had just said. "You mean see Mike in a friendly way?" she asked.

Eve slowly shook her head.

The light bulb clicked on over Mel's head, and she suddenly remembered the night of her wedding, when Eve had told her that Mike was going to walk her back to the hotel. She hadn't thought anything of it at the time, being as happy to be married as she was, but as she looked at Eve and saw the truth written all over Eve's face, she suddenly realized what had actually happened that night.

"Wait...you slept with Mike the night of my wedding, didn't you?" Mel asked the former Diva.

Eve closed her eyes for a moment, and then she slowly nodded. "Yes," she whispered, putting her face in her hands. "I slept with him...and the worst part is...I don't regret it, either…I know I should because he's married, but...I..."

"Eve...is Mike the guy you were talking about in the bridal shop the other night? The guy you're in love with?" Mel made sure to ask the question very gently, not wanting to upset Eve. It was clear that she was already feeling bad about what happened; if Mel mentioned Maryse, she might lose it completely.

Eve hugged herself, suddenly looking very small. "Yes. Ever since we tagged together back in 2012, I've just felt such a connection to him...a few months after that, we started dating, and the relationship was great until Maryse got involved...she pulled us apart, and now she's married to him and I'm forgotten about. Or at least I thought I was, until we met at your wedding. As soon as Mike and I's eyes met, all of those feelings came rushing back, and I could tell that the same thing happened to him. So at the reception, we sat and talked about everything, and then when I decided to go back to the hotel, he offered to walk me back, and…" Eve looked at the floor, but Mel could see the softness in her eyes. "I couldn't help it, Melly. I loved him. I still do love him. The thing is, if Maryse found out, she would tell everyone, and Mike and I's reputations would be damaged. That's why I can't let Maryse see me here."

Mel took a deep breath, rubbing her temples with her fingertips. She could see where the two of them were coming from, but they couldn't be sneaking around. That was never good for anyone, and now that Mel knew their secret, it made her feel dirty, almost like an accomplice.

Eve must have noticed Mel's dismay, because she begged, "Please don't tell anyone about this, Melly. Please. I'm trusting you with this information. No one can find out. If this were to get back to Maryse..."

"Eve, I'm already in deep shit with the Authority. You can't be dumping this on me," Mel said.

"Melly, please…" Eve was looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Okay, okay," Mel gave in. "Don't worry, Eve. This stays between you and me. But please...be careful."

"Oh, thank you, Melly. I will, I promise." She gave Mel a tight hug before tugging the hood back up over her head and slipping out of the closet.

Mel rubbed a hand over her face, suddenly feeling exhausted. She wasn't sure she could handle the enormity of this secret, but she was going to have to try. The last thing she wanted to do was sell out two of her friends.

She opened the door to the closet and poked her head out, checking to make sure no one was around. Then she stepped out of the closet and made her way back to her locker room, her head swimming with this new information.

Down the hallway a little ways, Stephanie McMahon stepped out from around the corner, a huge smirk on her face. She had seen Eve pull Mel into the closet and had been eavesdropping on the conversation the entire time.

"Oh gosh, I can't imagine how heartbroken Maryse would be if someone let this slip to her," she said to herself. "Well, she's going to hear about it eventually. It would be better if she heard it from me."

Stephanie let out an evil cackle before turning on her heel and heading off to find Maryse.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

By the time Mel got back to the hotel, Roman had already showered and was sitting on the bed, looking at his phone screen. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, and his fingers were flying over the keyboard. His thick black hair was still a little damp, and he seemed to have neglected to put a shirt on. When he heard the door open, he looked up at her and pressed the power button on the side of his phone, shutting the screen off.

"Hey baby," Mel greeted him, walking over to sit beside him. She leaned into his side and rested her head on his shoulder, then let out a puff of air. It had been a hell of a day, and she just wanted to curl up with her husband and forget about all of it. The thing with Eve had exhausted her mentally, and losing her handicap match against Paige and Cameron had exhausted her physically.

"Hey," Roman murmured tiredly. He had also had a long day, and the tag team match he had had with John Cena against Randy Orton and Batista hadn't helped at all. He felt like someone had driven a nail repeatedly into his skull, pushing it in as deep as possible. He had considered taking something for it, but then shrugged it off. He didn't like taking anything for pain unless he absolutely had to.

"What were you doing on your phone?" Mel asked with a yawn. She wasn't drilling him about it or anything, she was just curious. It was strange for him to turn his phone off when she walked in; it made her nervous, like he was hiding something from her.

"It was nothing," he responded nonchalantly, picking up the TV remote. "Just all these Twitter notifications and stupid game requests. The usual annoying stuff." He flipped through the channels, dismissing each one until he finally settled on ESPN.

"Oh, okay." Mel glanced at his phone where it lay by his side, frowning a little. Even though Roman had never given her a reason not to trust him, she just couldn't believe that all he had been doing was looking through notifications. If he had just been checking Twitter, then why did he shut the screen off the instant she walked through the door?

Roman didn't seem to notice her suspicion. He leaned back against the headboard, focused completely on the baseball game that was happening on the television screen. She knew that he had had a stressful day, because that was the only time he watched anything other than wrestling. Mel chewed her lower lip, trying to decide if she should ask him about his phone some more, or if she should just let him be. She didn't want to make his day worse.

Making her decision, Mel got up and went over to her suitcase to search for some pajamas. She was going to drop the phone thing and take his word for it, even if it did seem a little shady. There was no reason for Roman to lie to her.

After picking out a pair of sweatpants and one of Roman's t-shirts, she slipped out of the clothes she had worn from the arena and put the more comfortable garments on. Then she padded into the bathroom and grabbed a hair brush, grimacing at the tangled mess of her hair in the mirror. It had been a lack of judgement on her part to leave the car window open while she was driving back to the hotel.

Fifteen painful minutes later, her hair was about as tangle-free as it was going to get. She had straightened it earlier in the day, but the humidity had reduced it to its natural curliness. She glanced at her straightener, but then ruled against it. It would take forever to make her hair somewhat decent, and she was way too exhausted for that. It wasn't like she was going out, and she knew that Roman wouldn't mind. He had seen her when she looked her worst.

Shutting the light off, Mel left the bathroom and went back to the bedroom. Roman was still sprawled on the bed, holding the remote loosely in his hand. His eyes were starting to droop, and it was obvious that he was fighting to stay awake. She smiled and walked over, plucking the remote from his fingers and pressing the power button. The TV shut off, plunging the room into comforting darkness, and Mel climbed under the covers. The instant her head hit the pillow, she felt exhaustion starting to take over, causing her eyes to drift shut.

Roman shifted so that he was under the blankets too, and his muscular arm snaked over her waist, pulling her close to him. He inhaled her scent, his body starting to relax. The bed was one of those really soft feather ones, and the pillow cradled his head as if it were made of glass. That was also a good thing, because it eased the pain from his headache and actually made sleep a possibility.

He felt Mel's muscles relax, and her shallow and even breathing told him that she had fallen asleep. He was about to follow suit when his phone vibrated from where it sat on the bedside table. He carefully extracted his arm from where it was draped over his wife's waist and picked it up, turning the screen on to see that he had one new text message:

**So we have an agreement then? You give up your job, and Mel will be left alone. No one will torment her, she'll be free to wrestle like everyone else and she'll get title opportunities in the future. Do we have a deal? -Stephanie M.**

Roman swallowed hard and glanced at Mel. He knew that she would never approve of him doing this, but he wanted her to have a long and successful career. If that meant that he had to give up his own dreams and goals, then so be it. It was the price that he was willing to pay in order for her to be happy.

Hardening his resolve, Roman typed a reply.

**Yeah, we have a deal.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"You did what?!"

Roman ran a hand over his face, wincing at the force with which Mel spoke. He had expected her to be angry, but it still shocked him to hear it. Mel was usually so quiet and kind that it was always odd to see her get mad.

"I quit," he repeated, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "I decided that it wasn't for me anymore. The constant travel, the body aches, all of it. I just can't do it anymore, you know?"

"Bullshit," Mel snapped, her hazel eyes flashing. "Don't you dare lie to me. What did she tell you? What did she offer you?"

Roman looked away from her, unable to make eye contact. He hated that he couldn't tell her the truth, but it had to be done. If Mel knew that Stephanie had bribed him to give up his job, she would go after her, and that would throw everything away. "No one offered me anything. I just can't do this anymore."

Mel just stared at him, unable to believe that he was lying to her. There was no doubt in her mind that Stephanie had gotten to him somehow, had convinced him to give up the job that he loved. How she had done that, she had no idea. "I can't believe you're lying to me right now," she said coldly, keeping her eyes locked on his face. He wouldn't look at her, and that only confirmed her suspicions. "There's no way in hell you would quit. You love wrestling, you love this company, you love everything about this job. The only way you would give all of that up is if someone was forcing you."

"No one is forcing me," Roman insisted. "I just couldn't do it anymore." He crossed the hotel room and sat on the end of the bed, wringing his hands together absently. He was a horrible liar, he always had been. When he was younger, his mother had always been able to see right through the excuses he had spouted, and he had never quite gotten the hang of deceit.

Mel stared at him, her mind whirling. It was clear that he wasn't going to tell her the truth, so that meant that she would have to take matters into her own hands. "Fine," she said, storming over to where her black combat boots lay on the floor and picking them up. "If you won't tell me, then I'll find out myself."

Roman's head snapped up, fear sweeping across his face for a fraction of a second before his expression became stoic once again. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I mean that I'm going to find out why you did this," she said, tugging her boots on and swiftly tying the laces. "And when I discover who forced you to quit the job that you love so much, I'm going to beat their ass." She gave the laces a hard yank before straightening up and heading for the door, snatching a hoodie of Roman's off of the back of a chair as she went.

"Mel, don't," Roman warned from behind her, sounding anxious as hell. He had no doubt that if she searched hard enough, she would find out that it was Stephanie, and then shit would hit the fan.

Mel gave him one last look before ducking out into the hallway, the door swinging slowly shut behind her.

* * *

It wasn't hard to get Stephanie McMahon's room number from the front desk. All she'd had to do was inform the woman who worked it that Stephanie was her boss and she needed to speak to her about an impending storyline. The woman had been more than happy to help, and she had written the room number down on a slip of paper: 401.

Mel took the elevator up to the fourth floor, that slip of paper crumpled up in her fist. She watched the red numbers slowly climb until it reached the number four, and then the doors slid soundlessly open. She stepped out into the hallway, tugging the hood of the sweatshirt up over her head. She didn't want anyone to know that she had been here.

It made sense that Stephanie's room would be the first one on that floor. She always needed to be first, to be on top. Mel's lip curled as she rapped on the door. Out of all the McMahons, Stephanie was the one who disgusted her the most.

A minute passed where nothing happened, so Mel knocked on the door again, harder this time. She was aware that it was pretty late at night and Stephanie was probably sleeping, but that only made her want to wake her up even more.

The door swung open suddenly, and Stephanie stood there, wrapped in a black robe. Her brown hair was messy from sleep, and there were dark bags under her eyes. This was a whole new side to the perfectly manicured Stephanie McMahon that Mel saw every day. Mel could see a huge lump under the sheets of the bed behind her, which she guessed could only be Hunter.

Stephanie froze when she saw Mel, and she almost instinctively wrapped the robe tighter around her body. She pulled her shoulders back and stood up straighter, that snobbish look that Mel was so familiar with returning to her face. "What are you doing here?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at her slumbering husband.

"What did you say to Roman?" Mel demanded icily. She was in no mood to beat around the bush or exchange pleasantries. She knew that Stephanie was behind Roman abruptly quitting, and she wanted to find out why.

Stephanie gave a little huff. "Who do you think you are, barging into my hotel room in the middle of the night and demanding things from me?"

"I think I'm an angry wife who wants to know why my bitch of a boss forced him to give up his job," Mel spat, taking a step closer to Stephanie so that they were face-to-face. "Was he getting too popular, Stephanie? Huh? Were the fans starting to like him more than your doofus husband and his little misfit gang of old men?"

Stephanie's jaw clenched. "You don't get it, do you?" she asked, her tone dripping with venom. "Roman gave up his job so that you could keep yours."

Mel gaped at her. "What?"

"I told him that if he quit, I would stop tormenting you and you would get title opportunities in the future. He agreed immediately. He would do anything for you." Stephanie made the last sentence sound like something disgusting instead of something admirable.

Mel was stunned. She had known it was Stephanie who had caused Roman to quit, but she had never guessed that Roman had quit to protect her. Sometimes his hero complex drove her insane.

"Of course," Stephanie continued. "I never meant any of what I promised him." She gave Mel a sickly sweet smile before slamming the door in her face.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

The next few days were hard ones. Since Roman had given up his job, he wasn't on anymore of the cards for the shows, and even though he still traveled with Mel, Stephanie and Hunter told him that he wasn't allowed inside the arena. No amount of yelling could make them change their minds, and so Roman had to wait out in the parking lot, huddled in the car and watching Raw on his phone.

Because Roman was no longer around to protect her, some people backstage began to get hostile toward her, especially the other Divas. She could barely walk down the hallway without getting tripped and shoved. Rosa Mendes enjoyed yanking on her hair as she walked by, and then rattling off a Spanish tirade if Mel tried to say anything. Natalya always gave her nasty looks whenever she came anywhere near her, and Cameron and Eva Marie were constantly whispering behind her back. It seemed like every time she rounded a corner there were people glaring at her or talking about her. It was like high school all over again.

Of course, she had AJ on her side, but the Divas' Champion was too busy dealing with Paige to always be with Mel. She always jumped to Mel's defense whenever she was around, but whenever the tiny brunette was gone, Mel was fair game. Eve occasionally dropped by to see Mike (even though she would never admit it), but she couldn't help Mel without blowing her cover. The other Divas who didn't torment her stayed out of all of it, not wanting to put their own careers on the line. Mel could understand their concern, but it still hurt to know that she was utterly alone.

Next Monday saw Mel standing in her locker room, getting ready for the mixed tag match that she was having that night. It would be she and Dolph Ziggler against Fandango and Layla, and even though it was a bit of a random move on Creative's part, she was just grateful that it wasn't another handicap match.

Mel chewed her bottom lip as she buckled the lavender belt that held her sparkly light blue shorts up, trying to get in the zone. Her mind was clogged with everything that had happened recently, and she knew that she needed to clear it all out and just focus on her upcoming match. She needed to show that she was just as good in the ring as AJ and Paige, and that she deserved a title shot. It was going to be hard considering that Stephanie despised her, but she was willing to put in the effort.

The petite brunette examined herself in the mirror, making sure that everything was in place. Her thick brown hair was straightened and pulled back into a high ponytail, and her makeup looked flawless. She adjusted her sparkly light blue top, examining the lavender accents on it. She had just gotten some new gear, and she was loving how it looked on her. Unfortunately Sandra had added a little extra padding to the cups of the top, so her boobs looked bigger and were pushed up. It was a bit uncomfortable for her because it she wasn't used to showing so much cleavage, but hey, if she had it, she should flaunt it, right?

She had also gotten new sparkly lavender knee pads, and a pair of pretty white boots. She had specifically requested a lot of sparkles, thinking that it would make her look extra cute, but she had heard the other Divas mumbling that she looked like a walking disco ball. AJ had told her not to worry about what they thought, but it was really hard to ignore the constant whispers and dirty, almost pitying looks.

When it was time for her to go out for her match, she made her entrance to a symphony of bubbly music. She stopped halfway down the ramp, placed her hands on her narrow hips, and turned to look at the stage, waiting for her partner.

Dolph Ziggler's familiar music hit, and cheers erupted from the crowd. Dolph stepped out onto the stage and wiggled his ass before striding down the ramp to meet Mel. He offered his arm, and she hooked hers through it as she walked with him to the ring. He held the ropes for her, and she climbed in and waved to the crowd as he finished his entrance. The crowd was going wild, and it was clear who the fan favorites were.

Fandango's music hit, and the crowd was quick to boo as he and Layla emerged. Layla was wearing some sort of shimmery gown that reflected the light, and Mel snorted. And they all called _her _a walking disco ball.

The girls started off the match, and for awhile Layla really took it to Mel. She eventually got the upperhand when she swept Layla's legs out from under her and jumped on her, smacking her head against the canvas until the ref threatened to disqualify her. The crowd loved her sudden burst of energy, and cheered her on as she hit Layla with a dropkick and then a DDT.

Layla managed to knock Mel away, and slapped Fandango's outstretched hand and rolled out of the ring. Fandango stepped into the ring and looked at Mel, who started right back at him with her hands on her hips. Fandango did one of his stupid little dances and stood looking at her like she should be falling at his feet. Mel rolled her eyes and reached behind her, smacking Dolph's hand and tagging him in. She stepped out of the way as Dolph flew in and started to beat the living crap out of Fandango. He hit the Zig Zag, and Mel delivered her own finisher to Layla when she tried to break up the pin. The ref counted to three, and Mel and Dolph were the winners.

While they were celebrating, Mike came out of nowhere and slammed into Dolph from behind, knocking him down. He proceeded to beat on him, signalling the start of their feud over the Intercontinental title. Mel rolled out of the ring and backed up the ramp, knowing that she wasn't supposed to get involved. She acted scared like she was supposed to, and covered her mouth with her hands as Dolph got the shit kicked out of him.

When Mike was finished with the Show Off, he took off his designer sunglasses and looked up at where Mel stood on the stage. He gave her a wink and a cheeky smile, which caused the crowd to go crazy at the possibility of what that might have meant. Mel smirked to herself as she turned and walked through the curtain, thinking about how the rumors of she and Mike entering into a storyline together would be flying over the Internet in a few minutes.

Typical Mike.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

It all went down just as Mel suspected it would. The wink and smirk that Mike had sent her way on Raw had sparked a flurry of social media activity among wrestling fans. Rumors and speculation were flying left and right, with people wondering if she and Mike were going to be working a storyline together. Among them were people who had already started "shipping" the two of them, and had dubbed them "Mizamel". Even though Mel thought it was all a bit ridiculous and being blown out of proportion, she had to admit that Mizamel was catchy.

"Look babe," the petite brunette Diva called from where she sat on the edge of their bed, her hazel eyes fixed on the screen of her iPhone 5. "Yet another person tweeted me asking if Mike and I are an item now." She shook her head in amusement, causing her smooth brown hair to fly out a little. She couldn't believe how serious people were being about this. Still, it was getting her noticed by a lot of people. Her Twitter followers had tripled since yesterday.

"Yeah, great," Roman mumbled. He was standing in the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, trimming his beard. His long hair was still wet from the shower, and a few strands were plastered to his shoulders and back. He paused for a second to study his reflection, then frowned and went back to trimming.

Mel sighed softly and looked back at her phone. Roman was less pleased about all of the attention than she was. He didn't like the fact that people thought that she and Mike were a couple, even though it had been his idea not to reveal their marriage to the public for fear of fangirls harassing her. She could see where he was coming from, but he didn't need to be so grumpy about it. After all, she had married him, not Mike.

"Are you still mad?" she asked without looking at him. She had gotten so attuned to him over the years they had been together that she could sense his mood flawlessly. She scrolled through her Twitter feed while she waited for him to answer, favoriting and retweeting things that her fans had sent her.

"I'm not mad," he responded, his voice sounding a little weird because his mouth was scrunched up while he was working on his beard. "Just annoyed. It's not that big of a deal, it was just Mike being an assclown as usual. There's nothing to fuss over."

A giggle escaped from her. "Assclown?"

"I've been hanging around with Chris too much, okay?" Roman huffed. She could hear the laughter in his voice though, which made her happy. She loved this side of her husband, the fun and playful side. She hated it when he was stoic and sullen.

"It's good that you still go out with the guys occasionally," Mel said honestly, crossing her smooth legs and watching him. "It's not healthy for you to just sit here all day."

"Yeah," Roman agreed, finally satisfied with his beard. "It's nice seeing them. I miss hanging around with them in the locker room, and joking with them…" He trailed off, staring into the mirror. She saw the muscles in his back and shoulders tense, and his fingers curl into fists, and she knew that he was trying hard to compose himself. It made her feel so sad for him. He had not only given up the job that he loved, he had also essentially given up his friends. Knowing that he had done all of that for her made her feel terrible.

"Ro," she said softly.

Roman just shook his head, hunching over the sink and staring into the mirror. He already knew what she was going to say, and he didn't want her to say it. "Not your fault," he said quietly. "Stephanie's."

Mel bit her bottom lip to stop herself from saying anything else. She could tell that the last thing he wanted to hear were empty words. So she got up and grabbed her duffle and her car keys, knowing that she had to go so she would make it to the Smackdown taping on time. Before she left, she slipped into the bathroom, her heart aching at the look on Roman's face. She gave him a hug from behind and placed a soft kiss on his bare shoulder, and then she backed away and left him to his grief.

* * *

When Mel arrived at the arena that they would be taping Smackdown in that night, the first person to approach her was AJ. The tiny Diva was wearing her familiar attire of jean shorts, cut-up "Love Bites" shirt, Chuck Taylor boots, and knee-high socks. The Divas' title was secured around her narrow waist, the pink and platinum butterfly belt gleaming in the light.

"Melly, Vince wants to see you in his office right away," AJ informed her after giving her a welcoming hug. She tucked some of her dark hair behind her ear, annoyed that it had escaped her ponytail.

Mel frowned at that. She couldn't understand what Vince would want with her, unless it was about her little discussion with Stephanie the other night. She shook her head in disgust. She should have known that Stephanie would go running straight to her daddy. She had given the bitch too much credit.

"Alright, I'll go and see him," she mumbled, sounding as unenthusiastic about it as possible. "I'll see you later, AJ. Good luck in your match."

"Thanks!" AJ chirped before skipping off down the hallway.

Mel dropped her stuff off in her locker room before making her way to Vince's office. She knocked on the door and stood there for a moment, starting to get a little anxious.

"Come in," Vince called from inside, and Mel opened the door and went inside. He was sitting at his mahogany desk, his hands folded neatly in front of him. He waited until she was settled in the chair in front of his desk before looking down at the papers that were spread out in front of him. "So Melissa, it says here that fans are in quite an uproar over an interaction that took place between you and Mike Mizanin this Monday."

Mel's jaw dropped in surprise. She had been expecting Vince to chew her out for threatening his daughter, but in actuality he wanted to talk about the same thing that everyone else was talking about; she and Mike's joking exchange on Raw. "Um, yes sir," she said, confused as to where this was going. "I apologize if it caused any problems, Mike and I were just joking around. The fans kind of blew it out of proportion."

"There's no need to apologize, Mrs. Reigns," Vince exclaimed, waving away her apology. "This is a good thing! I haven't seen people so interested and speculative about a Diva/Superstar storyline since AJ and Punk had their little fling!"

Mel felt a surge of relief. She wasn't getting yelled at, and she wasn't going to be fired. Vince was actually pleased with the buzz that she and Mike had created. "That's good to hear, sir. But...Mike and I aren't in a storyline together."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong!" Vince said. He opened up a drawer and pulled out a stack of papers, then dropped them in her lap. "After you two created all of that buzz, we've decided to put you two in a romantic storyline together. That's your script. I already gave Mike his, and he was more than happy to work with you. He says you two are good friends."

Mel stared down at the stack of papers in her lap, her eyes wide. She had definitely not been expecting this. It wasn't that she didn't want to work with Mike, it was just that she was married now. Roman was already irritated by all of the fans asking if they were a couple, actually being with Mike on-screen would only make it worse. As she flipped through the script, she noticed that there were quite a lot of times that she would have to kiss Mike. The knot in her stomach got tighter, and she felt a little sick. Not only could this damage her relationship with Roman, but it could also damage her relationship with Eve.

"Well?" Vince said abruptly. "What do you think?"

She looked up at him, and when she saw the look in his eyes, she knew that he was already sold on this idea. If she refused to do it, there would be consequences.

"I think it's a great idea," she said weakly. "I'll get to work on memorizing the script right away."

* * *

Roman smiled when she walked into the hotel room, looking happy to see her. She was relieved to see that he didn't look as down as he did when she had left earlier. Her duffle bag suddenly seemed like it weighed a ton, and she dropped it on the floor before making her way over to the bed and collapsing on it, too tired to even change into pajamas.

"Tough taping?" Roman asked, a faint hint of amusement in his tone.

"You could say that," Mel mumbled, shifting so that her head was resting in his lap. She gazed up at him, her heart swelling with love. He was the most incredible man she had ever met, and he meant everything to her.

"Anything important happen tonight?" Roman murmured, running his fingers soothingly through her hair.

Mel chewed the inside of her lip, her heart racing. Should she tell him about the storyline with Mike? He was in such a good mood. He had been so sad earlier, she didn't want to make him like that again. It was her fault he was sad in the first place.

"Nope," she said, closing her eyes. "Nothing."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

The ear-splitting sound of the alarm clock woke Mel from the deep, dreamless sleep that she had been in, and she slowly opened her eyes. The early morning sunlight streamed through the wispy white curtains that covered the windows, and she squinted as she fumbled for the clock. Her hand bumped into the rectangular object and sent it crashing to the floor, causing her to wince. Of course, the alarm continued shrieking, so she leaned over the edge of the bed and scooped the clock up. She slapped the snooze button and then sat up, rubbing her eyes. Even though she had gone to bed early, she hadn't been able to sleep very much. The guilt that she felt over not telling Roman about her storyline with Mike kept her awake.

The bed shifted a little, and Roman rolled over onto his side, his eyes open and fixed on her. His hair was wild and the sheets were all tangled around him because he liked to roll around a lot in his sleep, but he still looked amazingly good. Then again, he always looked good.

She smiled at him, not at all surprised that he was awake. With the racket she had made, she would have been stunned if he was still asleep. "Good morning," she greeted him, pushing her tangled hair out of her eyes. "I'm sorry about all of the noise."

"Don't be, I was awake anyways," he yawned, pushing himself up into a sitting position as well. He stretched, the muscles in his arms and back rippling. "Why are you getting up so early? You usually don't go to the arena on Mondays until later in the evening."

"I'm supposed to make a run in on a match, and I need to look over the script and practice a few more times," she told him, focusing on picking the tangles out of her hair so she wouldn't have to look at him. She wasn't exactly lying; she really did have to run in on a match. She just hadn't expanded by telling him that the match was Mike's, and that her run in would spark their on-screen romance.

"Ah, gotcha," Roman said, and much to her relief he didn't ask anymore questions. He got out of bed and pulled a pair of sweatpants on, and then an Under Armour shirt. "I'm gonna go to the gym," he called over his shoulder as he tugged his shoes on. "Just because I don't wrestle anymore doesn't mean that I should let myself get flabby. Plus I don't think you want to be married to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."

Mel laughed. "I think that's a bit extreme. But okay, have a good workout. I'll see you later tonight after Raw."

Roman leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Bye babe." He grabbed his bag and then left.

Mel padded into the bathroom after he was gone, still trying to pick the tangles out of her hair. She turned the shower on and undressed, deciding to focus on the tangles after her hair was washed. She got in and scrubbed her hair with her favorite shampoo and conditioner, and then rubbed her vanilla scented body wash over her skin, loving the smell. The final step was shaving her legs, and once they were silky-smooth, she shut the water off and climbed out.

After she had dried her hair and applied her makeup, she pulled on a pair of athletic shorts and one of Roman's t-shirts. She made some coffee, and then snatched up her duffle and headed out the door.

* * *

The match was intense. Dolph and Mike were going at it like they were mortal enemies, and storyline-wise they were. Mike had screwed Dolph out of winning the Intercontinental title, and the Show Off was out for blood. The two of them had been wrestling non-stop for twenty minutes, and it was taking its toll on both men.

Dolph locked in the sleeper hold when Mike's back was turned, and it looked like the match was over. Mike sank to his knees as he started to black out, Dolph clinging to him tightly. Just as Mike's hand hovered over the canvas, Mel came sprinting out, her sparkly gear reflecting the light. She hopped up on the apron and yelled at the ref to get his attention, just as Mike began to tap. The ref was distracted by Mel, however, and so he didn't see Mike submit.

Dolph was furious, and he released Mike and jumped up, holding his arms out in an irritated gesture. While his back was turned, Mike grabbed him and rolled him up, holding him by his trunks. Mel pointed, and the ref turned to look. When he saw that Mike had Dolph rolled up, he dropped to the mat and counted to three.

Mike let go of Dolph and immediately rolled out of the ring, and the crowd was stunned as Mel came skipping up to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and crushed her lips to his, and the fans booed loudly as they realized that everyone's favorite, bubbly little Diva had gone over to the dark side.

The two of them broke apart, and they backed up the ramp, Mike's arm around her waist and a smirk on his face. Mel waved to all the fans, then laughed when they all jeered. Even though she had always been a face and had never envisioned herself as a heel, she had to admit that it was a lot of fun.

* * *

The hotel room was quiet when Mel opened the door. The TV was turned off instead of blaring SportsCenter like normal, and she didn't hear Roman's heavy footsteps. She frowned and dropped her duffle on the floor, then made her way into the bedroom, wondering where Roman was.

All of the lights in the bedroom were off, so she flicked them on, blinking when she saw a large lump under the blankets. Figuring that Roman was already asleep, she changed out of her clothes and pulled on some pajamas. She was about to go out into the kitchen to make some more coffee when Roman said, "So how was the kiss?"

Mel froze, her hand resting on the doorknob. She slowly turned to look at the bed, just in time to see Roman sit up. He crossed his arms in front of his broad chest, his eyes fixed on her face. His jaw was clenched, and her heart began to race. He looked really angry.

"Wh-What?" she stammered, a sick feeling beginning to develop in the pit of her stomach. She had totally forgotten that Roman watched Raw.

"You heard me," Roman said, his voice like ice. "It looked pretty steamy to me. You seemed really into it."

"Roman, I…"

"You lied to me." Those words cut straight into Mel's heart, and she bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. She definitely hadn't expected him to be so angry, although he had every right to be. She hadn't told him about the storyline with Mike to protect him, but it was clear to her now that it was the wrong move. He had never, ever lied to her, so the fact that she had lied right to his face was even worse.

"Roman, baby, I'm sorry," she told him, a pleading note to her voice. "I never meant to hurt you. I wanted to tell you about the storyline yesterday, but you were so sad that I didn't want to make it worse. I know that I shouldn't have lied to you, and keeping it from you was the wrong choice, but I'm so, so sorry. It will never happen again, I promise."

Roman shook his head and stood up. "Do you have any idea how I felt when I turned the TV on and saw you swapping spit with Mike on national television?" he growled, his eyes boring twin holes through her. "I had no idea that was going to happen. I had no way to prepare for it. It felt like I just got chokeslammed by Kane. I just kept thinking, 'No, that's not my wife, she would never keep something like that from me. She would tell me.'"

Tears stung Mel's hazel eyes. She felt like she was falling, plummeting down into a bottomless abyss. Her legs felt unsteady, and she placed a hand on the wall to steady herself. She felt like the worst wife on the planet. She had never seen Roman so angry before, except for when he came up against Hunter or Stephanie. To know that she was on the same level of anger as those two made her feel even worse. "Ro," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I...I should have told you...I didn't mean…"

Roman stood up and looked at her, and this time she didn't see anger in his eyes, only betrayal and pain. "I trusted you," he said softly. He picked up his pillow and brushed past her, heading for the couch.

Mel sat on the edge of the bed, feeling numb inside. She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on them, her body trembling. She closed her eyes, the tears that had been held in them sliding slowly down her cheeks.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Mel woke up alone the next morning, and it was the worst feeling that she had ever experienced. Being stomped into the canvas by eleven Divas was nothing compared to the pain that she felt right now. The fact that Roman had been so angry with her that he had slept out on the couch stung pretty bad, and even though she had only been awake for a few minutes, she already wanted to cry.

She slowly sat up, the bright red numbers on the alarm clock letting her know that it was seven o'clock in the morning. It was a cloudy and murky day, reflecting her mood perfectly, and she felt like sinking back into the mountain of fluffy pillows and thick duvet and just going back to sleep, but she knew that she couldn't. She had to meet Mike at the café around the corner from the hotel so that they could go over their script, and the last thing she wanted to do was be late.

Mel dragged herself out of bed and took a quick shower. She threw her straight brown hair up into a ponytail and put on a little mascara and blush. She didn't want to get all dressed up, but she didn't want to look like she hadn't put any effort in either. Once she looked respectable, she walked back into the bedroom and picked out a pair of skinny jeans and a black hoodie with the WWE logo emblazoned on the back. She had to yank on the zipper of the hoodie a few times before it budged because the dryer had melted it a bit, and after that was settled she grabbed a pair of black boots.

After locating her purse, she cracked the bedroom door open a little and peeked out. The rest of the room was quiet, but even though she could see the back of the couch from where she stood, she couldn't tell if Roman was still there or not. She chewed her bottom lip, trying to decide what to do, and then she slowly tiptoed out into the hallway. She fixed her eyes on the front door and slowly creeped forward, trying to make as little noise as possible. She edged around the couch, and when she glanced over she saw Roman lying on his side, facing the back of the couch. His chest was rising and falling steadily, so she assumed that he was asleep. Even though she loved spending time with her husband in the early morning hours, she was a little relieved. She didn't want to have to face him.

She was opening the front door slowly when a familiar voice said from behind her, "Going out?"

Mel froze, and then she sucked in a deep breath and turned slowly. Roman had rolled onto his back and was looking at her, his head resting on his tattooed arm. He didn't seem as cold as he had earlier, but he wasn't back to normal either.

"Um, yeah, I'm meeting Mike to go over our script," she mumbled, playing with the zipper of her hoodie and focusing her attention on the wood floor. She had really been hoping that Roman would still be asleep so she could slip out undetected. She felt so awkward discussing this with him, and also scared that he would erupt again.

Roman was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "Okay. Well, let me know when you'll be home. I worry when you're gone for a long period of time."

"I will." She stood there awkwardly for a few more seconds, her hand resting on the doorknob. Then she turned and slipped out, shutting the door quietly behind her.

* * *

Mike had already claimed one of the corner booths in the back of the café when she arrived, so she weaved through the crowded tables until she reached him. She slid into the seat across from him, depositing her purse beside her, and gave him the warmest smile she could muster. She was genuinely happy to see him, even though their storyline had created problems between her and Roman.

"Hey you," Mike said with a grin. A coffee cup sat in front of him, and the pages of the script were scattered across the table top. He was wearing a white button-up shirt and a pair of dark-wash jeans, and his hair was messed up in such a way that he looked adorable. He looked happy to see her as well, from the way he beamed at her.

"Hey!" Mel chirped. She dug her own copy of the script out of her purse and shuffled it on the table, making it into a neat stack. "So, what should we go over first?"

"Well, we're supposed to cut a backstage promo where you're hanging all over me," Mike told her, pulling one of the pieces of paper closer to him and sipping his coffee while studying it. "I'm supposed to say how you saw that I was the superior Superstar, so you ditched Ziggler for me. An appropriate choice. Then we're supposed to begin making out very sloppily to drive the message home."

Mel swung her feet back and forth under the table, chewing on the end of the highlighter that she had retrieved from the bottomless depths of her purse. Her stomach was a flurry of butterflies, but it wasn't just from the thought of how angry Roman was going to be. She had tried to ignore it the last time they had to kiss, but she actually, kinda, sorta...enjoyed kissing Mike. Not as much as she liked kissing Roman, but there was definitely something there.

_No, stop it, _she scolded herself. _You're married, and he's in love with Eve, one of your best friends. This is not okay, Melissa. Not at all. Forget about it._

Mike was looking at her, obviously waiting for her to respond, and she shook her head to get those thoughts out of there. "Okay, sounds like a plan," she said hurriedly, highlighting that section of the script so she would be able to pick it out easier. "So what do you think we should practice first? The lines? The motions?"

He took another sip of his coffee, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "How about the motions first?" he suggested. "You know, so you know which side of me is the best side to be on, which arm to clutch, etc.?"

"Okay, sure," she said a little too eagerly. She reached up and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, subconsciously trying to make her appearance better. She was suddenly very grateful that she had put some makeup on.

"Hang on, I'm going to sit over by you. It'll be easier that way." Mike slid out of his booth and walked around to her side. She quickly scooted over, moving her purse onto the table so she had enough room. He sat down beside her, and she jumped a little when his leg bumped hers.

"Sorry," he said, thinking he had hurt her.

"No, it's okay, I was just surprised is all," she replied, chewing the inside of her lip. What the hell was wrong with her?

They practiced the motions for a little bit, with Mel holding onto his right arm adoringly while he said his lines. She kept doing little things that she hoped made it seem more realistic, like occasionally running her fingers through his messy hair and playing with the sunglasses that hung from the pocket on his shirt. She would occasionally rub her thumb over the back of his hand and stroke his cheek too, trying to make it look as loving as possible.

After a few run-throughs, they decided that they had gotten the hang of it pretty well. Mike was already a very skilled speaker, and Mel was getting more used to acting flirty. It helped that it wasn't hard to drool over him.

"Okay, what should we practice now?" she asked after their last rehearsal, unwinding her arm from his and sitting back against the seat. She checked her phone for the time and was startled to see that it was almost eleven. Time had flown by. She would have to get back to the hotel soon. The last thing she wanted was Roman angry at her for being gone for so long.

"I have an idea," Mike said, so she turned to look at him. At the same time that she did, he shifted so that he was facing her, and their lips came together. Mel froze up, startled. Mike was kissing her, and it felt nice, but she didn't know what to do. She couldn't do this, she was married. She loved Roman more than anything in the world. She had given up so much for him, and he had sacrificed for her.

Mel yanked her head back, her hazel eyes wide and full of shock. "Um...wh-what are you doing?" she stammered, barely able to get out a coherent sentence. Her mind was spinning, and she didn't know what to make of this.

"Practicing," Mike replied, blinking at her in confusion. "You know, for the storyline? We're supposed to make out. I figured we should work on that since our first kiss was a little awkward, and we're supposed to make it look believable."

"Oh," Mel said, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid. Of course he wanted to do it for the storyline. He loved Eve, why would he want to kiss her for any other reason? Besides, she shouldn't even be wanting him to kiss her. "Actually, I can't. I have to get home. I've got things I need to do." She didn't actually have anything else to do, she just knew that she had to get out of there before she ended up doing or saying something that she would regret immensely.

"Oh, okay." Mike was looking at her oddly, but he moved out of the way so she could get out of the booth. He probably thought she was a weirdo for freaking out.

Mel shoved her script and highlighter into her purse, and then she slid out of the booth. She gave Mike an awkward wave before hurrying toward the door, not wanting to stay there any longer. The atmosphere had suddenly turned uncomfortable, and she just wanted to get out of there.

As soon as she was outside, she felt a lot better. She headed to her car, her mind whirling with what had just happened in there. The worst part wasn't that Mike had kissed her, it was that she had enjoyed it.

* * *

"Ro?" Mel called as soon as she opened the door to the hotel room. She hadn't intended on being gone so long, and she was ready for him to be annoyed. She walked in and set her purse on the little table by the door, and when she turned around she was enveloped by a pair of strong arms. She let herself be pulled into a broad chest, and she inhaled the familiar woodsy scent that she knew all too well.

"I'm sorry," Roman whispered, his voice muffled by her hair. He didn't need to say anymore; they knew each other so well that they could communicate without speaking.

Mel just closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into him and relishing the feeling of being in his embrace again. She had been so scared that she would never experience this again, or even hear him speak to her in that warm tone. The fact that she had her Roman back made tears well up in her eyes, and her body start to tremble. She didn't want to fall apart, but she was really close. All of the pain from yesterday and this morning faded away into the back of her mind, nothing but distant, broken memories.. She had her husband back, he loved her, and that was all that mattered.

"I know," she whispered back.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Don't you just love early mornings?" AJ Lee chirped, taking a sip of her coffee and skipping along, pulling her wheeled bag along behind her.

Mel yawned in response, adjusting the strap of her duffle on her shoulder. She had dragged herself out of bed at the horrible hour of five o'clock to come to the arena. Vince had ordered that everyone show up early and practice their segments because he thought that everyone was slacking. While she didn't necessarily agree that everyone was slacking, she could name a few people off the top of her head who were.

The two Divas strolled across the parking lot, chattering as they drank their coffee. AJ was dressed simply, in a Batman hoodie the clung to her slim figure and a pair of skinny jeans and Chuck Taylors. Mel was wearing a fleece jacket over the top of her gear, with her sparkly blue shorts on display for everyone to see. She had a pair of sneakers on instead of her wrestling boots though, simply because she didn't want her boots to get ruined.

AJ reached the doors first, and she tugged them open and held them for Mel, who walked inside. AJ followed her in, allowing the heavy doors to swing shut behind them. It was dim inside the building, possibly because the bright light outside had blinded the both of them a little bit. They walked down the long hallway until it branched off in two different directions. Already used to this, they took the left one, the one leading to the womens' locker room.

The locker room went silent as soon as they entered, all of the other Divas halting the conversations they had been having and turning to look at both of them at once. Mel wasn't a popular person at the moment because of who she was married to, and AJ wasn't a popular person because of who she was married to _and _because she was the Divas' Champion. She had something that all the other girls wanted, and it had turned them all into petty little brats.

AJ stopped and stood there defiantly, one hand on the handle of her bag and the other clutching the cardboard coffee cup like it was a lethal weapon. She raised her chin, her long, shiny dark hair cascading down her shoulders, and raked them with an icy stare, challenging them to say anything. Of course, none of them did; they just turned their backs on the two women and continued their conversations as if they weren't even there.

Mel placed her hand on AJ's muscular arm and gently drew her away from the other Divas. "Come on," she said softly. "They're not worth it."

AJ bit her lip, then followed Mel over to their lockers. Originally, they had been much closer to the lockers of the other Divas, but that had had to stop after they had all turned on them, obviously. AJ ripped her locker open ferociously, yanking out her denim shorts and cut-up "Love Bites" t-shirt. She threw everything on a nearby bench, not even bothering to pick the gear up when it fell to the floor.

In stark contrast to her tiny friend, Mel calmly drew her makeup bag out of her locker and proceeded to put it in, using the mirror that was glued to the back. She liked to think that she and AJ complimented each other nicely, with AJ being the snarky, temperamental one, and herself being the calm, diplomatic one. Well, most of the time.

"Don't let them get to you," she told the Black Widow as she was applying eyeliner. "If they see you get angry, then they win. Of course, it might be nice to throw them a bone every once and awhile; they don't win often."

The corners of AJ's mouth twitched slightly, letting her know that the Divas' Champion was trying really hard not to crack a smile. "I don't care," she said indignantly. "I worked my ass off to get here, I didn't fuck my way to the top like _some _people." She shot a venomous glare at Nikki Bella when she said those last few words, and Mel placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her back around so she was looking at her locker again.

"Stop," Mel scolded her. "You're better than that. What would Punk say if he saw you acting like this?"

AJ gave her a look that spoke volumes, and Mel had to laugh. "Okay, okay, maybe that was a bad example," she admitted.

"No, no," AJ sighed, picking her gear up off of the floor. "You're right, I should just ignore them. It's hard, but I'll manage."

"Good, I'm proud of you for deciding to take the high road." Mel put her eyeliner back in her makeup bag, and after touching up her eyeshadow, she snatched up her script and closed her locker door. "I'll see you in a little bit, I have to go and do a few more run-throughs with Mike. Remember what I told you." She glanced over her shoulder at the other girls, who were all clustered together like a pack of wolves, watching the two of them through slitted eyes.

"Go," AJ told her, pulling her hair up into a ponytail. "Don't worry about me, I can handle those bitches."

"So much for the high road," Mel commented, but she grabbed her script and headed off to find Mike all the same.

* * *

After determining that Mike was not in his locker room, Mel headed to the next logical place to look: Catering. They do say that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, after all.

Sure enough, when Mel walked into the crowded room, she spotted Mike over by one of the salad bars. His back was to her, so she waded through the cluster of coworkers and backstage staff until she was close enough to get his attention. She stretched out a hand, intending to tap his shoulder, but that was when she noticed that he wasn't alone.

Eve stood there, wrapped in a baggy sweatshirt and with the hood pulled up over her head. She and Mike were speaking in low voices, too soft for Mel to hear, and Eve's hand was resting on his forearm almost possessively. Mel instinctively took a step back, suddenly feeling extremely idiotic. That's right. Eve had claim to him.

Mike said something that Eve didn't appear to like, because she shook her head and removed her hand from his arm. She snapped something at him before spinning on her heel and storming off into the crowd. Mike stayed where he was, running a weary hand through his hair.

Mel melted back into the crowd, deciding that now was not a good time to be bugging Mike.

* * *

"Ready to go?"

Mel looked up at Mike and gave a little nod, her heart pounding. It was her first time doing a backstage interview with another person, and it was even more daunting considering the fact that she was supposed to act like he was her boyfriend. Even though Roman had told her that she had his blessing to continue with the storyline, it was still a bit uncomfortable.

Suddenly, it was showtime. Renee Young came over with a mic, looking as classy as ever, and Mike and Mel stood off to the side, out of sight of the cameras. They were supposed to wait until Renee announced them before walking over. Mel clutched Mike's arm tight, but he didn't say anything, probably because he knew how nervous she was.

"And now let's cut to our broadcast partner Renee Young, who's standing by with a very special guest," Michael Cole announced.

"Thank you Michael," Renee said as the camera switched to her. "I'm here with the Intercontinental Champion, The Miz."

That was their cue, and Mike swaggered up until he was standing with Renee, Mel attached to his arm. She was wearing a tight black dress that she thought showed a little too much cleavage, and a pair of stiletto heels that made her afraid she would fall at any second. Holding onto Mike was more of a way to stop herself from falling flat on her face than it was selling their relationship.

"So Miz, I see that you didn't just get yourself the Intercontinental title," Renee remarked before holding the microphone up to his mouth to catch his response.

"That's right Renee," Mike replied, sounding perfectly arrogant and pompous. "Not only did Dolph Ziggler lose the title, but he lost his girl as well. Pretty ironic considering that this is the guy who claims he can steal your girlfriend. I don't blame Mel at all though, and neither should you or any of those people out there. She realized that Dolph was a loser, so she made the wise decision to jump off of the sinking ship and associate herself with the winner. If anything, that shows that she has more brains in her pretty head than most of the Divas. And besides, let's be real here. Who can resist this beautiful face? I mean look at it!" Mike turned to look at the camera, striking poses and turning his head from side to side so that they could get better shots of his face.

"Not me," Mel said adoringly, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him sloppily. They made out for a few minutes, making it as convincing as possible, which actually wasn't that hard. Mike seemed to want to kiss her just as badly as she wanted to kiss him, so that was a plus.

Renee made a disgusted face, and the screen slowly went dark. The backstage staff signaled to them that the segment was over, and the two of them broke apart.

"Great job guys, that was awesome acting!" Renee commended them before going off to film her next interview.

"You were perfect," Mike told Mel, smiling warmly at her. "I don't know what you were so nervous about, you handled it like a pro."

Mel beamed at that. "Thanks! Your promo was amazing too!"

Mike grinned, and then he leaned in close and said, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership." He held her gaze for a few moments before turning around and heading back to his locker room to get ready for his upcoming match.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"Stephanie wants a word with you."

Mel looked up from her taco, her mouth stuffed full of beef and lettuce. Kane towered over her, glaring down at her through narrowed eyes. He had taken to wearing his mask around backstage, even when he wasn't scheduled to wrestle. He probably thought it made him look more intimidating, but in reality it just made him seem like a little kid who didn't want to take off his Halloween costume.

"Tell the bitch to wait. I'm eating," she said after swallowing, returning her attention to her plate. Leave it to Stephanie to want to talk to her when she was in the middle of dinner.

She went to take another bite of her taco, but a gloved hand swooped out of nowhere and snatched it away. "Don't speak about Stephanie McMahon that way," Kane snarled, throwing her taco into the nearby trash can. "You treat her with respect. She's your boss."

Mel stood up abruptly, her chair flying out. She spun until she was facing him, and stared up at him with defiance sparkling in her hazel eyes. "I'll speak about that bitch any way I like," she said quietly, anger bubbling up inside of her. "And she can shove that "respect" straight up her ass." She had no idea where this strength was coming from, but she rather liked it. She had sat around and meekly did what she was told for far too long. If someone wanted to order her around, they could take their ass right out the door.

Kane opened his mouth to respond, but Mel pushed past him before he got the chance to get any words out. She walked out into the hallway, feeling his eyes burn into her back until she rounded the corner. She shrugged it off and kept walking, actually proud of herself for standing up to him.

When she reached the business section of the arena, she was waved toward Stephanie's office immediately. The door was closed firmly, but thanks to her newfound rebellious streak, she grabbed the door handle and shoved it open without bothering to knock.

Stephanie looked up in surprise and quickly snapped a folder that she had been holding shut. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to knock?" she asked coldly, opening one of her desk drawers and shoving the folder in. She looked a bit more frazzled than usual; her brown hair was messy and unkempt, and her nails looked a little rough. Even so, she had that same steely look in her eyes that scared the shit out of most people.

"I don't knock on the doors of people who don't deserve it," Mel replied flatly, leaning against the doorjamb and crossing her arms over her chest. "Now what do you want?"

Stephanie folded her hands in front of her in a gesture that was so much like her father that Mel was mildly amused. It didn't surprise her at all; Stephanie had always modeled herself after her father. She was a little girl struggling to surpass her father's enormous shadow. It should have made her a little sad, but she had run out of sympathy for the woman who sat before her a long time ago.

"We've decided to pull Paige out of the feud between her and AJ," Stephanie said, studying Mel for her reaction.

A wave of confusion swept over the brunette Diva. Why in the hell would they do that? AJ/Paige was a feud that the fans had been anxiously awaiting, and they were all salivating over it. Yanking Paige out at the last minute would anger all of them, not to mention the fact that the pay-per-view was on Sunday. Whichever Diva they decided to toss into the feud was going to get epically buried by all of the fans, plus she wouldn't have any time to develop any heat. They were setting the match up to fail.

"That's honestly one of the stupidest moves you've ever made," Mel told her. "Whoever you replace Paige with is going to be slaughtered by the fans. You're setting them up to fail."

"Oh, I know that," Stephanie said, a hard glint in her eyes. "That's why we're putting _you _in Paige's place."

Mel's jaw dropped. This was a new low, even for Stephanie. Not only had she ordered eleven other Divas to attack her and forced her husband to relinquish his job, but now she wanted to turn her best friend and only female ally against her as well. "No," she snapped. "There's no way in hell I'm going that. AJ is my best friend, and besides, I'm already in a storyline with Mike. Your dad will be pissed if you pull me out of that, he loves it."

"Who said anything about pulling you out of the storyline with Mike?" Stephanie asked innocently. "He's going to be in your corner on Sunday."

"He was supposed to face Dolph at the pay-per-view!" Mel exclaimed, outraged.

"Change of plans," Stephanie said simply. "You should be used to this by now. Plans change all the time in this business."

"So now you're punishing him too?!" Mel demanded. "Why, because he's associated with me?!"

"No one said that this was a punishment, Melissa," Stephanie said, leaning back in her high-backed leather chair. "You wanted a title shot." Her mouth twisted up into a cruel smirk. "You got one."

* * *

"FUCK!" Mel screamed as soon as she was back in the locker room. She picked up a bottle of shampoo and hurled it at the wall, causing it to bounce off and strike one of the mirrors. The glass shattered and flew out, cutting her hands. She barely noticed the burning pain as she continued to grab whatever was close by and threw it. She flipped over the couches and benches, overturned the tables, hit the lockers. She was overwhelmed by all of the emotion that she currently felt, all of the pent-up anger and frustration pouring out of her in the form of physical violence.

She was so wrapped up in the destruction that she didn't hear the locker door open, and then a pair of muscular arms were wrapped around her, stopping her just as she was about to chuck the hairbrush she clutched in her hand. She struggled against the strong embrace, screaming, "Let go of me! LET GO!"

"Mel."

Mike's calm voice made her stop screaming, a bunch of choking noises coming from the back of her throat. He slowly reached down and plucked the hairbrush from her fingers, tossing it aside. Her body was shaking like a leaf, and he turned her around so that she was facing him. He reached down and tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him. "What is it? What happened?"

Mel's mouth opened, but before she could speak a word, she burst into tears. She was crying so hard that it physically hurt and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She clutched his shirt and buried her face in his chest, bawling her eyes out. She hadn't cried like this in a long time, but it was needed. She had to get it all out or it would end up causing her to explode.

Mike just stood there and held her, stroking her hair and making reassuring noises. He didn't know what had her so upset, but he knew that now was not the time to ask. She obviously needed to cry, so he would lend her support by just being there for her. In the back of his mind he faintly registered that he shouldn't be doing this, but he couldn't just leave her here. Who cares if it pissed Eve or Roman off, she needed someone to hang on to right now.

After a few minutes, the tears began to fall slower. Mel pulled back a little and looked up at Mike, her cheeks still wet with tears. "I...I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I just...it's so _hard_, Mikey...it's so hard…"

"Shh, it's okay," he soothed her. "Everyone needs to cry once in awhile. No one is strong enough to hold everything in."

Mel shook her head. "I can't do this anymore…" she said, taking a step back. "I can't...I...I'm not cut out for this job…"

"Don't you say that." Mike's voice was firm but gentle. "Don't you ever say that. You are the strongest person I know. You were born for this job. You're going to be one of the greatest, and don't you _dare _let _anyone _tell you any different. Understand?"

Mel stared at him as if she was seeing him in a whole new light, and then she threw her arms around his neck and crushed her lips to his. She wasn't thinking, she was only acting on the impulse that had taken hold of her. Even if she had been thinking, she would have done it anyway.

Mike didn't even hesitate. He looped his arms around her neck and kissed her back, and the kisses that they were sharing now were different than the ones they had exchanged for their segments. These kisses were slow and sweet, and they were both invested into them fully. They didn't have to put on a show for anyone, they could just take their time and enjoy it.

Mel slid her hands up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck as she continued to kiss him. In the back of her mind there was a little voice telling her to stop, but she ignored it. She had been pushing down these feelings for far too long.

Roman never once entered her mind.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Mel paused outside the womens' locker room, chewing her lower lip. She stretched out a hand to grab the door handle, but then stopped. This was the last thing that she wanted to do, but if she didn't do it, then someone else would. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door.

Cameron and AJ were the only Divas in the locker room at the moment, much to her relief. Cameron glared at her when she walked in, but Mel wasn't in the mood to put up with her cattiness, so she flipped her off and kept walking until she reached AJ. The tiny Diva had just finished her match with Eva Marie, and despite the fact that she had won, she was clearly not happy that she had had to face one of the worst wrestlers in the company. Mel had seen the match, and even though AJ had been fantastic as usual, Eva had dragged the match down. It had been really hard to watch.

"Don't try and make me feel better about that match," AJ warned as Mel approached. "It was horrible. No words of encouragement can change that." She yanked on a tank top adorned with cartoony skulls, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes. AJ was clearly not in a good mood tonight, and that only made Mel more nervous.

"I wasn't going to offer any," Mel murmured, sitting down on one of the benches. "I know how you get after bad matches."

AJ groaned and rested her forehead against the cool metal of her locker. "You didn't have to call it bad," she mumbled.

"You called it horrible," Mel pointed out. When AJ didn't laugh, she ran a hand through her hair wearily. How was she supposed to drop this bomb on AJ when she was already upset over her match? It wouldn't be fair to her. If she didn't do it though, then it would end up like the Mike/Roman situation and blow up in her face.

"So what's new with you?" AJ asked, shoving her discarded gear into her duffle and zipping it up almost violently. "I noticed that you didn't have a match tonight, or a segment with Mike. What's that all about?"

This was it. Mel scuffed the toe of her shoe against the floor, unable to make eye contact with her best friend. "I was eating a taco in Catering and Kane came up to me and told me that Stephanie wanted to speak to me," she told AJ slowly. "So I essentially told him to go fuck himself and went to Stephanie's office to see what the hell she wanted."

"And?" AJ prompted. The brunette Diva's chocolate eyes were sparkling with interest, and she plopped down on the bench beside her, eager to hear what happened next. AJ was always especially interested in the arguments that Mel had with Stephanie, mostly because she had had her fair share of confrontations with the boss as well.

"She told me that they're pulling Paige out of the feud." Mel said it all in one big rush, wanting to get it out of the way quickly. She was hoping that AJ wouldn't be too angry about it, but no such luck.

"What?!" AJ exclaimed, her eyes flashing with anger. "Who the hell does she think she is?! People have been waiting for Paige and I to feud for years! We would have put on a classic! Not only that, but we would have brought in money too!" She stopped ranting long enough to take a breath, and then she snapped, "So who is the bitch replacing her with? Probably one of the girls who can't wrestle worth a shit."

Mel fought the urge to flinch. "She's replacing her with me," she said quietly, looking away from her furious friend.

"What?" AJ said, disbelief evident in her voice.

"Me, AJ. I'm facing you at SummerSlam for the title," Mel repeated. She stood up and began to pace, her mind whirling. She was terrified of how AJ would react. Even though they were best friends, the fact that she was the prime competition for AJ's precious title could be enough to pull them apart. It didn't matter how close they had become; in the professional wrestling world, success was the only thing that mattered, and success came from titles. That was something that the longest-reigning Divas' Champion knew all too well.

"She's such a bitch," AJ said angrily. At first Mel thought that she was the one she was talking about, but then she realized that she meant Stephanie. "She thinks this is going to split us up, doesn't she?" the tiny brunette continued, glancing over at her title where it lay on top of her duffle.

"That's what she's hoping for, yes," Mel muttered.

"Well she's going to be disappointed," AJ said, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Mel shot her a surprised look. "You mean you're not pissed off at me?" she asked incredulously.

"Why would I be mad at you?" AJ questioned, genuinely confused. "If anything, it only makes me more angry at Stephanie. She just can't leave you alone, can she?"

"No," Mel sighed.

"Well it doesn't matter what she does to try and split us up, it's not going to happen," AJ stated very matter-of-factly. "You're my best friend, and I'm not going to let some power-crazed bitch destroy that."

Tears swelled up in Mel's eyes, but she quickly rubbed them away before they could fall. "Thank you, AJ," she whispered.

"No problem," AJ said, giving her a tight hug. "Now, as for that SummerSlam match, here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

The hotel room was dark and quiet when Mel opened the door, but she had figured it would be. Raw had ended a little while ago, so Roman had probably gone to sleep. She had called him to let him know what Stephanie had told her, and also that she and AJ were working some things out so she would be home late. He had wanted to wait up for her, but she had insisted that he go to sleep. He was a big guy, he needed his rest.

Mel set all her stuff down and immediately headed for the bedroom. She was tired and sore and she just wanted to be held by her husband. She needed to snuggle into Roman's arms and feel his warmth and breathe in his scent. That was when she was truly happy.

She slipped into the bedroom without bothering to turn on the light, knowing where the bed was located by heart. She pulled the blankets back on her side and climbed in, too exhausted to get changed into something more comfortable. Reaching out a hand, she felt the smooth skin of Roman's arm, and she curled her body around his, placing a soft kiss on his shoulder. Even though she had just seen him that morning, it felt like forever since she had kissed him.

Roman rolled over in his sleep, his arms automatically going around her and pulling her into him. She snuggled into his bare chest, feeling so safe and loved. As she listened to his soft, steady breathing, guilt crept up on her. It had been wrong of her to kiss Mike yesterday, even if she had felt so broken and alone. Roman was her husband, and she needed to be loyal to him and him alone. Why would she ever want to give moments like these up? She was so happy.

Mel lifted her head and kissed his forehead lovingly, then placed her head back in his chest. "I love you," she breathed into the darkness. "So much."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

The day of SummerSlam found Mel in her hotel room, packing up her clothes and makeup and preparing to leave for the arena. She had a big match tonight, one of the biggest of her career, and she was more than a little nervous. It didn't help that the match was against her best friend, and it was for the Divas' Championship. It was a lot of pressure, but she was determined to put on a classic.

Roman was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her toss stuff into her duffle with a faint gleam of amusement in his eyes. He had acted the same way when he had had his first pay-per-view match, so he understood how anxious she was feeling. A pang of sadness struck him when he realized that he would never have another pay-per-view match again. Shaking the feeling off, he asked, "Are you ready?"

Mel looked up at him, tucking some hair behind her ear. "As ready as I'm ever going to be, I suppose," she replied, lifting her shoulders up in a little shrug. She pulled on a thin white cotton hoodie that fell to her knees, zipping it up over her sparkly blue gear.

"I mean are you ready to do what you need to?" Roman elaborated. He knew that Mel didn't want to participate in this match, but this was an opportunity that she couldn't turn down. One of her dreams was to become the Divas' Champion, and this was her gateway to fulfilling that dream. He didn't want to push her into doing something that she didn't want to do, but he wanted her to succeed too.

"What do you mean?" Mel asked, biting her bottom lip.

"You know what I mean."

Mel looked away from him and zipped up her duffle. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," she said quietly, slinging the strap over her shoulder. If everything went as planned, then she and AJ wouldn't have to jeopardize their friendship at all.

She could tell that Roman didn't exactly agree with that logic, but he didn't say anything. Instead he stood up and walked over to her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead. "I know the circumstances suck, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you," he murmured. "You deserve this more than anyone."

Mel leaned into him, closing her eyes and trying to relax. "Thank you," she whispered.

Roman just kissed the top of her head in response.

"I'll see you in a little bit," Mel said, pulling away from him once she saw the time. "Promise me you'll watch?"

"Of course," Roman replied. "I always do."

Mel smiled and gave him a quick kiss, and then she snatched her car keys off of the table by the door and left.

* * *

Everyone knew AJ was supposed to win. It made no sense for Mel to win when she had been thrown into the match so suddenly, and besides, it was written in the script. There really was no point to this match other than splitting two best friends up, and that was what Stephanie truly wanted.

AJ made her entrance first, skipping out to her signature music and the roar of the crowd. The Divas' title was strapped around her tiny waist, and the platinum and pink butterfly belt gleamed under the bright lights. She entered the ring and leaned up against the ropes, waiting for her opponent to make her entrance.

When Mel emerged, she was bombarded with angry jeers and boos. It was a bit startling, because she had always played a face. This was her first match as a heel, and she wasn't quite used to the heat yet. She strolled down the ramp, acting very arrogant, and climbed into the ring. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and she was praying that she wouldn't screw this up.

The referee took the title and held it up for everyone to see, and then he set it outside of the ring and signalled for the bell. As soon as it sounded, the two of them locked up, and Mel took AJ to the mat.

The match was back and forth for about ten minutes. Despite the fact that Mel had replaced Paige, the crowd was actually starting to get into the match, with the fans taking sides. Dueling chants of "Let's Go AJ" and "Let's Go Mel" started up, but as AJ started to gain momentum, they died down. Everyone was waiting for AJ to slap on the Black Widow or hit the Shining Wizard and end the match. That was the only logical thing that could happen.

AJ went to grab Mel for the Black Widow, but she reversed it into the Skull Crushing Finale. She would have used her usual finisher, but she figured that she should remind people of her relationship with Mike. She scrambled to cover AJ, hearing the crowd go silent in anticipation.

One…

Two…

Three.

The arena went dead silent with shock as the bell rang, signalling the end of the match. Mel's music began to play, and she stood up and accepted the title from the ref. It all felt so surreal. Tears welled up in Mel's eyes; she had been waiting for this moment ever since she had made her debut. She was the Divas' Champion, and no one could ever take that feeling away from her.

Even though she really wanted to help AJ up and hug her, she knew that she had to stay in character, so she rolled out of the ring and backed up the ramp, clutching the belt to her chest. The crowd still hadn't recovered from the shock of her winning, so it was silent. Mel slipped behind the curtain.

Everyone backstage was going crazy. It had been written in the script that AJ was supposed to retain, so no one had seen Mel's win coming. A few people came up to congratulate her as she was making her way back to the locker room, but most people kept their distance. They knew that she was going to be in trouble when Stephanie found out, and they didn't want to be anywhere near her when that happened.

Mel made it back to the locker room, and she leaned against the door after she had closed it, holding the title close. She thought back to the plan that she and AJ had made last night, in which AJ would allow Mel to pin her. She had said that if she had to lost her title, then she wanted to lose it to her best friend. They both knew that they would be in trouble, but they were beyond the point of caring.

She was changing out of her gear when there was a knock on the door, causing her to jump a little. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't expected Stephanie to come after her so quickly. Snatching up a towel to cover herself with, she crossed the room and opened it.

As it turned out, it wasn't Stephanie.

Mike opened his mouth to say something, but stopped abruptly when he saw her standing there in just a towel. For a moment they just looked at each other, and then Mike stepped inside and shut the door. He turned around to face her, his blue eyes full of mixed emotions.

Keeping her eyes fixed on him, Mel slowly dropped the towel.

As soon as that towel hit the floor, Mike pulled her into his arms and kissed her with everything he had. Mel kissed him back just as hungrily, her hands sliding down his chest to his trunks. She hooked her fingers into the waistband of his trunks and tugged them down, and he stepped out of them. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, and she hooked her legs around his waist, her mouth still attached to his. So many things were going through her mind, not all of them good. Despite all of the consequences to what they were doing right now, she knew one thing:

She didn't want to stop.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Somehow in the middle of all of this, Mel realized what she was doing. If she went through with this, the consequences would be huge. She will have cheated on the man that she loved, and lost his trust forever. She would never want to hurt Roman that way. She would hate herself forever for that, and the guilt would be immense.

"Mike," she said before it got too far. "Stop. I...I can't do this."

Mike pulled away from her, his hair messy from her fingers and his blue eyes full of confusion. She looked away from him and slipped out of his arms, snatching up her towel off of the floor and wrapping it around herself again. She knew that if she looked at his face for too long, she would give in.

"What's wrong...?" Mike asked, sounding concerned. "Did I hurt you? Did I read your signals wrong? It seemed like you wanted this too. I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Mel assured him. "I did want it. It's just…" She heaved a sigh and sat down on the bench, patting the empty space beside her. Mike sat down after pulling his trunks back up, looking at her curiously.

"Look…" Mel began, taking a deep breath. "I really care about you. I've always had a crush on you, but ever since this storyline started, my feelings have intensified. I want this as much as you do, trust me, but...I mean, I know Eve is in love with you, and I'm married to Roman, so it's not right. I really do love Roman. I can't hurt him like this, it's not fair to him."

"I understand," Mike said, and his voice was very friendly and supportive, which made her feel a little bit better. "I just want you to know that I've had a crush on you for a long time too. Ever since you first step foot in this building, I've felt an attraction to you. I knew that you were with Roman, and you had been for quite a long time, so I tried dating Maryse, but the feelings didn't go away. And then I married her, but they still didn't go away. When I fell in love with Eve, I figured that was the end of it, but when we entered into that storyline together, they all came rushing back. When I saw you standing here in that towel, I just...couldn't help myself. I'm sorry."

"No, you don't need to apologize," she told him hurriedly. "I couldn't help myself either. It's just...for the sake of our respective relationships, we should keep this professional." She looked down at her hands where they rested in her lap, feeling terrible about this whole thing. She really did care about Mike, and she really had wanted to do this, but she was married to Roman. When she had married him, she had vowed to always love him, and to always be faithful to him, and she intended to keep those vows.

Disappointment flashed in Mike's aqua eyes so quickly that she would have missed it if she hadn't been watching his face, and the guilt that rested in the pit of her stomach increased. "Okay," Mike agreed, though a little sadly. "I can see how that's what should happen." He gave her a weak smile, and then added, "At least I'll get to kiss you when we have our storylines together."

Mel bit her bottom lip so hard that she drew blood. She hated having to do this, but it was for the best. "Yep," she agreed, smiling weakly back at him.

"Can I have one last kiss?" Mike asked hopefully.

Even though she knew that she shouldn't, Mel leaned in and kissed him very softly. He kissed her back just as gently, and then he pulled away after a moment. He gave her another smile, and then he got up and walked out.

Mel drew the towel tighter around herself, her lips tingling from the kiss. She sighed heavily and bowed her head, her hair concealing her face.

What was she supposed to do?

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

AJ sat in the hard-backed chair in front of Stephanie's desk, her arms crossed over her chest. She was still in her ring gear because Stephanie's goons had rushed her there immediately, so she was more than a little pissed off. She wanted to go back to the locker room and take a shower because she was covered in sweat, but no. Instead she had to sit in this bitch's office, listening to her rant.

"I was thinking that Mel deserved to win," the petite Diva replied nonchalantly. "I didn't want to retain, and if you were going to force Mel to participate in the match, then I was going to make it worth her while. If anyone was going to take my title, I wanted it to be her."

"Do you have any idea the consequences of your actions?" Stephanie demanded, her voice shrill. "I could have you fired for this!"

"Go ahead and fire me," AJ snapped, holding her arms out in an act of defiance. "I don't care. I've accomplished everything I've ever wanted here, so I'm content. I've made enough money, even though that's not what I ever intended. Besides, then I get to go home to my husband, who I miss incredibly. If you think firing me would be a punishment, Stephanie, then you would be wrong."

Stephanie stared at her, her jaw clenching and unclenching. She had always despised AJ. In her mind, AJ was just a foolish little girl whose head had gotten too big for her position in the company. She may be a favorite of her father's, but that didn't matter. Stephanie was Vince's daughter, and so whatever she said, he would back up. AJ was getting too powerful, and it was driving Stephanie insane. There should be no one more powerful than the boss's daughter.

Unfortunately, the little girl was right. Firing her was too easy. She would just take the money she had made and stroll out the door, and the fans would continue to adore her. In their minds, she would be a martyr, standing up to the higher-ups. She couldn't let that happen.

AJ was still staring at her, awaiting her response, so Stephanie drew herself up taller, pulling her shoulders back. A smirk curved the youngest McMahon's lips as the perfect punishment came to mind. "Oh, I'm not going to fire you," she responded. "I've got something much worse in mind…"

* * *

When Mel returned to the hotel room, she was greeted by the sight of flickering candles and rose petals scattered all over the floor. Confused and curious, she set her bag down and followed the trail into the bedroom, placing her feet carefully so she wouldn't step on any. When she stepped inside the bedroom, she saw Roman standing by the bed, which also had rose petals on it. He was holding a bouquet of daisies, her favorite flower, and he gave her a warm smile.

"Congratulations on winning the title, baby," he said, his tone full of affection. He handed her the flowers and kissed her cheek.

Mel completely melted, and she threw her arms around his waist. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"No, thank you," Roman murmured. "Thank you for being my wife."

Mel closed her eyes, tears threatening to slide down her cheeks. She had almost made the worst mistake of her life earlier.

She would never make it again.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

The next few days between Mike and Mel were a bit awkward. They still had their storyline together, so they had to act like a happy couple, which was difficult for obvious reasons. Every time Mel kissed him, she felt that pull deep in her chest, but she always resisted. She had sworn that she wasn't going to cheat on Roman, and she intended to keep that promise. She had felt so guilty when she came home and saw what Roman had set up for her that she was determined to never feel that way again.

Mel had just concluded her latest segment with Mike, in which they had to boast about how they were the new power couple of the WWE while holding their titles up proudly, when a familiar voice called, "Mel!"

The Divas' Champion turned to see AJ running toward her, her thick brown hair streaming out behind her. There was a panicked look in her big brown eyes, and Mel instantly knew that something bad had happened. Her heartbeat shot up a few notches; what if Stephanie had fired her for going against the script? That would mean that two people would have lost their jobs for her.

"AJ?" Mel said, meeting the tiny Diva halfway. "What's wrong? What happened? Did she fire you?"  
AJ shook her head rapidly from side to side, her hair whipping around her face. "No, she said that would be too easy," she said, talking very fast. "She wants to do much worse…"

A chill ran down Mel's spine. She couldn't think of anything worse than being fired, but then again, Stephanie excelled at torture. The youngest McMahon was an evil mastermind, and she knew just what vulnerable spots to push. She knew peoples' weaknesses, and their deepest fears, and she fed off of them like some parasite. She _was _a parasite. "What is she going to do to you?" Mel asked her best friend, concern seeping into her voice. She couldn't bear to think of something terrible hurting her little friend.

"She's not going to do anything to me," AJ whispered, looking at Mel with wide eyes. "She's going to do something to _you_."

Mel's mouth fell open. She had been expecting to be punished, but from what AJ was saying, it sounded like Stephanie was on a whole new level of retribution. "What's she going to do?" she asked, her voice trembling a little even though she wanted to sound strong and in control. Despite trying her best to be brave, she was honestly terrified of what Stephanie might do. She had the power to destroy her life and the lives of those she loved, and it wasn't something to play around with. Suddenly, defying the boss lady didn't seem like such a good idea after all.

AJ rocked back on her heels, chewing the fingernails on her left hand while she debated answering. She always bit her nails when she was nervous; it was a habit that she had been trying to shake for years now, but had never quite managed to. Punk told her it was cute, but it annoyed her because her nails were so destroyed that they never looked okay just by themselves. She always had to smother them in nail polish to make them look respectable.

"AJ…?" Mel said, sounding anxious.

"She's going to strip Mike of his title," AJ mumbled, sounding miserable. She looked down at the floor, suddenly very interested in the toes of her Chuck Taylors. "That's her way of punishing you. She said knowing that you took his title away from him is the worst kind of punishment."

Mel felt sick to her stomach. If Stephanie was trying to wound her, then she had succeeded. Targeting Mike hurt her way more than anything she could have done to Mel herself.

"I'm sorry, Melly," AJ whispered. The tiny Diva didn't seem to know what else to say, so she just returned her gaze to the floor.

Mel stared down at the pink butterfly that graced the front of her own title, suddenly feeling extremely guilty that she had it. Mike was going to lose his title because of her, and here she was, still able to keep her own. It seemed like everyone she got close to suffered, and it didn't look like that was going to be ending anytime soon.

She was going to have to do something to end this, one way or another.

* * *

Mel fumbled with the key card, her eyes drooping. She was exhausted so she had left the arena early, wanting to crawl into bed with Roman and get some sleep. She had a few big decisions to make, and she wanted to be well rested.

She managed to make her fingers work correctly again, and she swiped the card and entered the room, dropping her bag on the floor like she usually did. She was about to set the key card down when she heard odd sounds coming from the bedroom. Frowning, she headed for the door, which was open a crack. She was about to call out to Roman, but something kept her silent. She reached out, pushed the door open all of the way, and froze.

Roman looked up at her, his eyes going wide. The girl beneath him, who Mel faintly registered as Sasha Banks, an NXT Diva, let out a little scream and tugged the sheets up over her naked body. Roman sat up, his mouth opening, but no words coming out.

Mel felt like the floor had just dropped out from under her feet. She couldn't breathe, and she couldn't think. Her mind was whirling, and the only thought that kept spinning through her head was that she was so, so stupid.

"Mel," Roman said, starting to get up. "Baby, I can explain."

"You asshole." She was surprised that her voice came out so clear and strong, and most of all, angry. "You piece of shit. How long?"

Roman stopped abruptly, looking just as surprised as she was at the force behind those words. He looked at a loss for what to say, instead just sitting there and staring at her.

"How fucking long?!"

Roman ran a hand through his messy hair. "Four weeks," he admitted.

Four weeks. That meant that this had been going on even before her storyline with Mike. Rage welled up inside of her, causing her to shake. "Why?!" she demanded. "Why the hell would you do this?! Was I not enough for you?! You had to go and fuck some tramp?! Huh?!"

"You're never here," Roman snapped, his eyes flashing with anger. "You're always gone until the late hours of the night. I never get to see you anymore!"

"I'm working, you asshole!" Mel shouted at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. "I'm making us money! I'm the only one doing that because you decided to be a dumbass and quit!"

"I did it for you!" Roman roared, standing up. "I quit my dream job for you, because I love you and I want you to be happy! But in the process, I gave up happiness for myself! You weren't giving me what I needed, so I got it somewhere else!"

"I can't believe I ever fell for all of that bullshit you told me about how I was your soulmate, your one and only," Mel growled, angry tears burning her eyes. She wrestled her wedding ring off of her finger and hurled it at him, causing it to bounce off of his broad chest. "Here! Take it! I don't want it anymore!" She shot Sasha a murderous look, and then returned her piercing gaze to Roman. "Give it to her, I'm sure she would love to have it."

With that said, she spun on her heel and stumbled out of the bedroom. She could feel the tears coming, and she didn't want him to see her cry. She raced over to the room door and yanked it open, hearing Roman calling her name but choosing to ignore him. She sprinted out into the hallway and down the length of it until she reached the elevator. She slapped the down button repeatedly, hearing footsteps thundering down the hall toward her. The elevator doors slid open, and she stepped inside and pounded the lobby button with her fist. She looked up to see Roman running toward her, and then the elevator doors closed just as he stretched out a hand.

As soon as the red numbers started ticking down, Mel slid down until she was sitting on the floor. Her breathing was coming in raspy gasps, and then she burst into sobs, putting her face into her hands.

Her entire life had just crumbled to pieces.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Everything had fallen apart. She had just lost the one person who had always promised to be there for her, and it had crushed her mind and her soul. She felt like someone had taken the light that burned inside of her and snuffed it out. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know where to go. The only thing she could do was sit in that elevator and cry.

The metal wall of the elevator was cold against her back, but she didn't notice. She couldn't seem to calm herself down. Her tears were staining the carpet, dark blots appearing as each tear fell. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, feeling so empty inside. She kept seeing Roman and Sasha every time she closed her eyes, and that only made her cry harder. She couldn't believe that she had been so stupid. How could she have ever thought that Roman actually loved her? He never had.

The worst part of it all was that, in a way, she had had it coming. She had been about to cheat on Roman with Mike and had stopped herself, but it appeared that Roman hadn't bothered to think about what it might do to their marriage. He hadn't cared about how much it would hurt her, and that was what stung the most. Perhaps it was karma coming back to bite her in the ass. She wouldn't be surprised.

She was too wrapped up in her own misery to notice that the elevator had arrived at the lobby, and the doors had hissed open. She must have looked a sorry sight, huddled in the back of the elevator, a crying, sniveling mess. She could only hope that her thick brown hair hid her face, and that no fan would recognize her and snap a picture. The last thing she needed was for this to end up plastered all over the Internet.

A pair of sneakers appeared in her line of vision suddenly, letting her know that someone was standing over her. She froze up, trying to decide what to do. If it was a fan and she looked up, the fact that she was crying would be obvious. But what if it was someone who wanted to do her harm? It was late, and the lobby was pretty much deserted. She could be in serious trouble.

All of these thoughts were whirling through her head, and she had just made up her mind to push whoever it was aside and run out of the elevator when a familiar voice said, "Mel?"

Mel's breath caught in her throat, and her heart stopped for just a moment. Then a fresh wave of tears came forth, and a sob escaped her lips before she could help it. It seemed like life was intentionally rubbing her mistakes in her face now, and she could feel herself bending under the pressure, about to break.

Mike crouched down in front of her, his fingers slipping under her chin and tilting her head up so that she was looking at him. His sparkling blue eyes had already been full of worry, but now some fear emerged as well. "What is it?" he asked, his voice hushed and laced with urgency. "Melly, what's wrong? What happened?"

Mel was crying so hard that she could barely breathe, let alone get any words out. Mike was the last person that she wanted to talk to about this, but she felt that if she didn't let it all out, then it was going to build up inside of her until she exploded. So she tried to calm herself down, wiping the tears off of her cheeks with the palms of her hands and taking calm, even breaths. She had been hyperventilating, but by focusing on her breathing she was able to stop. She pushed her hair out of her red eyes and behind her ear, wondering how the hell she was going to tell Mike what had happened without bursting into tears again. It seemed an impossible task at this point.

Mike seemed to sense her hesitation, because he touched her cheek very lightly, intending to comfort her. The gesture helped to relax her, and she looked down at her hands, which were clenched into tight fists. "I...he…" she stammered, unable to get the words out at first. She took another deep breath and then said, "I walked into our room...and I...I saw Roman with another girl...an NXT Diva...Sasha. We fought...and...and I…" She held up her hand so that he could see the missing wedding ring, and then she burst into tears again when the enormity of what had just happened struck her. Her marriage was more than likely over.

A pair of strong arms went around her, and Mike whispered soothing things in her ear, trying to get her to calm down a little. He reached up and hit the button for the third floor, and the elevator doors slid shut as it began to climb once again. He held her until the elevator reached its destination, stroking her hair and rubbing her back. He felt horrible for her; he knew how much she had loved Roman, how much she had given to him. He suddenly felt the urge to hunt the Samoan man down and punch his face in for what he had done.

The elevator doors opened, and Mike looked down at Mel, who was huddled against his chest, her tiny body trembling. "Come on, Melly," he murmured, his voice very gentle as he helped her to her feet. "I'm going to take you with me back to my room, okay? You can't stay in the elevator all night."

Mel didn't respond; she had retreated inside herself, locked in with her thoughts.

He took her down the hallway to Room 312, where he swiped his key card in the door. He helped her inside and over to the bed, then returned to the door and closed it. He set the card on the table by the door and then went over to where Mel sat. Her hazel eyes were fixed on the wall, and she looked very distracted. It worried him, but he supposed that it would take some time for her to heal.

"Can I get you anything?" Mike asked her, his tone very soft and soothing. He didn't want to send her into hysterics again.

A single tear slipped from her eye and rolled down her cheek, and she sniffled a little but didn't respond to his question.

"Okay," he muttered. He could sense that she wanted to be alone, so he turned around, intending to go to the kitchen and make some food. He had just gotten home from the arena and hadn't had a chance to eat anything yet. Stephanie had called him to her office right when he had been about to leave, and the bitch had stripped him of the Intercontinental title. She wouldn't even provide him with an explanation as to why she was taking it away.

"It hurts so bad…"

Her voice was so small that Mike almost didn't hear her at first, but he turned to look at her, wondering if he had imagined it or not.

Mel looked up at him, her face slick with tears. She was trembling, and she looked so vulnerable that it broke his heart. "It hurts so bad, Mikey," she whispered, more tears falling. "I don't understand...I made some mistakes, but I never went through with them. I just don't understand…" She broke into sobs, curling into a little ball.

Mike went back over to her and sat beside her on the bed, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight. He knew that she was broken, but he would be there for her. He would put her back together again, no matter what the cost.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Mel sipped the hot chocolate that Mike had given her, her hands wrapped tightly around the white mug. A warm brown blanket was draped over her shoulders, and a mountain of pillows surrounded her. Some movie was playing on the TV, filling the dark room with a flickering glow, but she wasn't paying attention to it. Even though she felt very safe and secure, her heart was still full of sorrow and pain. No amount of hot chocolate or fluffy pillows could change the fact that her husband had cheated on her.

It was about three o'clock in the morning, but she wasn't tired. In fact, she was wide awake. Her mind wouldn't slow down long enough for her to sleep, and to be honest, she didn't really want to. She was positive that she would have nightmares.

Mike sat in a chair over by the front door, hunched under the dim light of a lap that rested on a table nearby. Even though his attention was focused on the bright screen of his iPhone, she could sense his eyes on her every once in awhile. She knew that he was just worried about her, and it made her feel a little fuzzy inside. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed his company.

"Do you want some more hot chocolate?" Mike asked suddenly, getting up and walking over to her. He was wearing a pair of black sweatpants and one of his "Haters Wanted" t-shirts, and his hair was messed up in the most adorable way.

Mel looked up at him curiously, then down at the mug in her hands, which was empty. She blinked and then returned her gaze to him. "How did you know I needed more?"

Mike's cheeks reddened a little, and he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. "I, um, just happened to notice…"

She knew that that was just an excuse, but she didn't say anything about it. She thought it was sweet that he was so concerned about her. "That would be great, thank you, Mikey," she said, handing him the mug.

Mike looked relieved that she hadn't asked him anymore questions, and he took the mug and went into the kitchen. She heard him making a fresh batch of hot chocolate, and she smiled to herself as she drew the blanket tighter over her shoulders. She could see why Maryse and Eve had fallen in love with him; he was such a sweetheart.

Mel looked down at the floor, silently berating herself for even thinking about falling in love. Roman had shattered her heart into a million pieces. If she fell in love again, it wouldn't be for a long time. She couldn't handle giving herself to someone only to have them betray her. It had hurt too bad the first time.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and then Mike came back into the living room, holding her mug in his hands. A few wisps of steam were rising from the surface of the hot chocolate, and Mike handed it to her very carefully, not wanting to burn her. Mel took the mug and breathed a sigh, loving the warmth that flowed from the mug and into her hands. It was very relaxing, and for a moment she actually felt normal. She took a careful sip, wincing a little when the hot liquid burned the tip of her tongue.

"Are you okay?" Mike asked, his voice sounding panicky. He had seen her wince and was afraid that she'd been hurt. That was the last thing that he wanted to happen right now.

"I'm fine," she replied, waving him off. "I just burned my tongue a little, that's all." When relief showed on his face, she added, "You don't have to worry about me so much, you know. I'm okay. Really, I am."

Mike blew out a puff of air and nodded. "I know," he said softly. "I just feel responsible for you."  
"Responsible for me?" Mel repeated, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She wasn't too sure she liked the sound of that. It made it seem like he was babysitting her or something.

Mike noticed the look on her face and quickly backpedaled. "No, no, not like that," he said hurriedly. "I mean that I hate seeing you hurt, and finding you sobbing in the elevator broke my heart. I want to be the one to make you smile again. I want to take care of you."

Instead of making her melt inside like those words were supposed to, it just made her shut down even more. "Yeah, I've heard that before," she said bitterly, staring down into her mug. She wasn't trying to be a bitch, she was just lashing out.

Mike didn't even flinch. He knew that she was just angry and in pain, and that she didn't really mean to hurt him. "I know you have," he said. "And I don't mean to sound like…him...but I mean what I'm saying. I know you probably won't believe me, and that it'll take some time, but I do want you to know that I care about you a lot. I want you to be happy."

A flood of tears filled Mel's eyes abruptly, and she angrily wiped them away with the edges of the blanket. Why did this have to happen to her? This amazing guy was telling her that he cared about her, but she was still so angry and hurt that she was throwing it back in his face. All that she could think about was that she didn't want to be hurt again.

"Just leave me alone, Mikey," she choked out through the tears, turning away from him. Of course she didn't really mean it, but she expected him to back off.

Mike was going to do just that, but then he realized that doing so would get him nowhere. It would only cement her belief that he had been lying when he told her that he cared about her. He made a sudden decision to do something drastic, something that could blow up in his face if it went wrong. Steeling himself, he strode forward, took Mel's face in his hands, and kissed her.

Mel froze up for a second, taken by surprise. For a moment she just sat there, feeling his soft lips pressed against hers. Her mind was spinning and she felt like she was floating.

Mike started to pull away, afraid that he had frightened her, but Mel wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him in place. She kissed him back, her lips molding to his perfectly. All thoughts of Roman and what he had done drifted away, and the only thing she could focus on was Mike.

They pulled away after a few minutes, both of them breathless. Mike was cradling her face in his hands gently, and she turned her head and placed a soft kiss on his palm before leaning into him, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes.

She wasn't going to let what Roman had done hold her back. She was going to be happy if it killed her, and that happiness clearly lay with Mike.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Mike was still awake when the sun started to come up, laying on his side and watching Mel, who was sleeping soundly beside him. She hadn't wanted to sleep alone, so he had held her until she drifted off, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words in her ear. They hadn't done anything other than sleep; Mel wasn't ready for that, and he didn't want to push her. Her husband had just broken her heart, after all.

Mel shifted in her sleep, her long eyelashes resting delicately against her cheeks. She was curled up in a little ball under the blankets, with only her head sticking out. She looked so adorable that Mike had to smile. Some of her hair had fallen into her face, and he reached out and gently brushed it away.

Even though he had been making his touch as light as possible, Mel still felt it somehow, and she stirred, her eyes fluttering open. For a moment she was disoriented, and then everything that had happened came rushing back to her. She almost started crying again, but when she turned her head and saw Mike looking at her with such a tender look in his eyes, all of the sadness that she felt melted away.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," he whispered, stroking her cheek lightly with his thumb. He didn't hesitate to be affectionate with her, and she seemed to like it.

"It's okay, I need to get up anyway," Mel yawned, rubbing her eyes. She loved how sweet and gentle Mike was with her. It wasn't that Roman never was, it was just that everything Mike did was so thoughtful and caring. She just knew deep in her heart that he would never hurt her, and it made her able to let her guard down.

"Do you have to go to the arena?" Mike asked, propping himself up on his elbow and gazing at her.

"Yes, just for a little bit," Mel responded, sitting up and stretching. Stephanie supposedly wanted to see her again, probably to make her life even worse. She was afraid that if she went to see Stephanie, she would snap and pound her face in.

Mike also sat up, his hair a mess. He looked so adorable that Mel giggled and reached up, running her fingers through his hair. He smiled and relaxed at her touch, then pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "The weirdest thing happened the other day," he said, a frown tugging his lips down. "Stephanie called me into her office to inform me that she was stripping me of my title. That bitch took my title away and wouldn't even tell me why."

Mel froze, her eyes widening. A hard lump settled in her throat. Her mind flashed back to that conversation with AJ in which the petite Diva told her that Stephanie was going to punish her by stripping Mike of the Intercontinental title. Stephanie had followed through on her threat and actually done it. It was all her fault.

Mike noticed the look on her face, and his blue eyes filled with concern. "Melly?" he said, his voice tinged with worry. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's my fault," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Stephanie took your title away to get back at me…" Mel tried to hold back the tears that were filling her eyes, but she was unsuccessful, and they spilled down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Mikey…it's all my fault...I was the one who made Stephanie angry, I..." A choked sob escaped her, cutting her off.

"Melly, listen to me," Mike said, taking her face in his hands and looking into her eyes. "It's not your fault. It's Stephanie's. She's the one who took my title away, not you. I don't blame you, I blame her. There is nothing you could ever do that would make me upset with you. I care about you way too much. Understand?"

Mel gave a little nod, sniffling. It made her feel so much better to know that Mike didn't hate her for losing his title, and also that he cared about her so much.

"Good," Mike murmured, wiping her tears away with his thumb. He hated seeing her so upset. Her moods had such an effect on his that whenever she was hurting, he was hurting too. "Now, how about we skip going to the arena today and go do something fun? Just the two of us."

"Like a date?" Mel asked, her voice hushed.

"Yes," Mike said with a warm smile.

Mel chewed her lower lip, unsure. She didn't want it to seem like she was moving on from Roman too fast. But then again, she really wanted to have some fun…

"Let's do it," she said.

* * *

Mike opened the door of the arcade and held it for her, motioning for her to go in ahead of him. Mel smiled at him as she went by, a little thrilled on the inside. Having someone do chivalrous things for her was new to her as well, but she loved it already.

It wasn't too busy inside. A few teenagers with skateboards huddled around a few games, smashing the buttons and pulling the triggers on the fake guns. Some littler kids were playing on the indoor jungle gym in the corner, chasing each other around and laughing as they jumped into the ball pit. There weren't just kids there, however; people in their early 20's mulled around, playing games and joking around.

Mel was looking around when she felt a hand slip into hers, and she intertwined her fingers with Mike's without hesitation. She looked up at him shyly, and he smiled at her before leading her through the arcade by the hand, weaving through rows of games until they reached a skee-ball game.

Mel's eyes lit up at the sight of it. "Ooh, I love these games!"

"Me too!" Mike grinned at her happily. They had so much in common it was almost ridiculous. He was glad that his idea to bring her to the arcade hadn't wound up being a stupid one.

Mike put some quarters into the machine, and the balls rattled down into the tray. "Are you ready to lose?" he asked Mel teasingly, picking up one of the balls.

"Oh please," Mel huffed from the machine next to his, also scooping up one of her own balls. "I'm a pro at this game, Mizanin."

Mike smirked, liking the fact that she was taunting him right back. "We'll see."

In the end, the score ended up being 1,200 points for Mike, and 1,210 for Mel. Mel was thrilled by the fact that she had defeated Mike, and she jumped up and down excitedly, cheering and throwing her arms in the air in victory.

Mike grabbed her around her waist playfully and spun her around, causing her to giggle hysterically. He laughed because she was laughing, and he pulled her close to him, tilting her chin up and resting his forehead against hers.

Mel's breath caught in her throat, and she gazed up at him, suddenly realizing just how beautiful he was. She brought her hand up and placed it on the side of his face, her other hand resting on his broad shoulder.

Mike was thinking the exact same thing about Mel as he looked at her, in awe at how absolutely perfect she was. Why anyone would ever want to cheat on her or hurt her, he could never understand. If he could wake up to that beautiful face every morning, he would never look at any other woman ever again.

Their heads moved closer almost instinctively, and this time Mel was the one who kissed him. They melted into each others' embrace, losing themselves in the electric feelings that were shooting through their bodies from the kiss. It felt like they were suddenly connected in a way they had never been before, and neither one of them ever wanted to let go of the other.

The scariest, but also most exhilarating part of all of this was that Mel could feel herself falling in love all over again.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"So what do you two have to say for yourselves?"

Mel sat in Stephanie's office, trying to look as bored as possible. Stephanie had corralled she and Mike as soon as they had arrived at the arena, and now she was bitching them out for not showing up yesterday. Unfortunately for Stephanie, Mel had had a terrible past couple of days, and she was so beyond the point of caring that it was just a little speck in the distance.

Mike seemed to have the same mindset that she did, because he too sat in silence, looking at Stephanie as if she were something disgusting stuck to the bottom of his shoe. She wouldn't let him sit next to Mel, instead making him lean against the wall on the other side of the room. That alone had pissed him off, but the interrogative line of questioning that they had just been subjected to didn't help either.

Stephanie's eyes crinkled up with anger when both of them remained silent, and she slammed her hand down on the surface of her desk, causing some papers to go flying. "Answer me, dammit!" she spat, glaring at each of them in turn. "I am your boss!"

"You're not the boss of me," Mike said. He was sick and tired of Stephanie throwing her weight around, and he was especially tired of her bullying Mel when she hadn't done a damn thing to deserve it. "You're just a little girl clomping around in her daddy's oversized shoes."

"Shut up or I'll have your ass fired, Mizanin," Stephanie hissed at him, her hands curling into fists.

Mike flashed her his signature cocky smirk. "Did I strike a nerve?"

A snicker escaped from Mel, and Stephanie whirled on her instantly. "And just what are you laughing at? I could have your title taken away faster than you can blink! You weren't even supposed to have it!"

Mel couldn't help but grin. It was clear that she and Mike's defiance was rattling Stephanie, who was starting to lose it. She was so used to getting her way all the time, she couldn't deal with the fact that two of her employees weren't taking any of her shit anymore. "I'm laughing at you," she told the youngest McMahon honestly. "You think you're so high and mighty, sitting in your little office and barking orders, but you're nothing. Your father outshines you, your husband outshines you, and your own children will probably outshine you. Out of the legendary McMahon family, you are the one who people think about last. That's what's got you so bitter, isn't it? The fact that no matter what you do, people will always talk about your father and your brother before they talk about you."

It was clear that Mel hit the nail on the head, because for the first time ever, Stephanie McMahon was caught off guard. She just stood there staring at the small brunette Diva, a mixture of emotions in her eyes. For a split second she actually looked vulnerable, but then Mel blinked and the vicious and spiteful Stephanie was back in full force.

"Oh stop acting like you're so perfect," she growled, pointing a finger at Mel. "You've obviously got flaws as well, because you couldn't even keep your husband in your bed."

Mel stiffened, and such an intense level of hatred and rage started flowing through her veins that she honestly thought she was going to explode.

Mike pushed himself off of the wall, just as pissed as Mel was. How dare that bitch rub that in her face? She had just begun healing from it and Stephanie had ripped the wound wide open again.

"Not that I can blame him," Stephanie added, her voice taking on a gloating tone. "The worst part of all of this is that only a day after you discovered he was cheating on you, you moved on with Mike over there, who coincidentally has a wife of his own. So tell me, how does that make him any better than Roman? And how does that make you any better than Sasha Banks? Of course, there's always the very likely possibility that you never loved Roman as much as you claimed to."

_Smack!_

Stephanie's head snapped back, and her hand flew up to cover her cheek, where an angry red handprint was already beginning to form. She gaped at Mel, who was on her feet and ready to deliver another ferocious slap. Before her hand could descend a second time, however, Mike grabbed her wrist. He knew that if she started beating on Stephanie, the consequences would be severe.

"Get out!" Stephanie shouted, still holding her cheek. "Get out of here right now!"

Mel didn't waste any time obliging. She yanked her arm away from Mike and ripped the office door open, causing it to slam against the wall hard. She stormed out into the hallway and started striding toward the exit, her body trembling with suppressed anger.

"Hey. Hey!"

She spun on her heel, stopping so abruptly that Mike almost ran into her. He caught himself and looked down at her, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You shouldn't have done that," he told her.

"Did you not hear what she said to me?!" Mel demanded, getting even angrier.

"Yes I did," Mike responded. "I was angry too, and she did deserve it, but assaulting her was not the way to handle it."

"Well then how do you expect me to handle it, Mike?" she exclaimed, her hazel eyes burning with rage. "She's had it out for me since the first day I arrived here, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. There's nowhere I can go, no one I can go to. The owner of the company is her father, for God's sake. Do you want me to go to him? He won't do shit."

"We'll figure it out," he insisted, reaching out a hand to touch her cheek.

Mel angrily smacked his hand away. "No, _we're _not doing anything," she spat, giving him an icy look. "Go home to your wife, Mike. I'm sure she misses you."

Hurt blossomed in Mike's chest, but he quickly brushed it away. Mel wasn't really angry at him, she was angry at Stephanie. "Mel, listen to me," he said, taking her face in his hands. "Maryse and I are separated. We're getting a divorce. No one knows but us, that's why no one else mentioned it. You have to believe me. I was never cheating on her. We were already separated when you and I began whatever it is that this is."

She didn't want to believe him. She had already been lied to and hurt. She wanted to shove him away, to run in the other direction and never look back. But if she did that, then she would be alone, and that was the last thing that she wanted right now.

"I believe you," she whispered, letting the rage ebb away. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay," Mike said, pulling her into a tight hug. "I know that you're going through a lot, but it'll be alright. I'm always here for you."

Mel wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes, leaning her head against his chest.

_Bite me, Stephanie._


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

As it turned out, the repercussions for slapping Stephanie were pretty minor. Mel was suspended for a period of three days without pay, but she got to keep her title and her storyline with Mike was going to proceed like normal. It had surprised her that she hadn't gotten in more trouble, but then again, she was the Divas' Champion and they needed her around. Since they had stripped Mike of his Intercontinental title without providing any reason, the fans had been asking a lot of questions, so they had probably realized that taking another wrestler's title away would cause the fans to explode.

Since Mel had gotten suspended and Mike had a storyline with her, he couldn't wrestle for three days. Mel had felt really bad about that, but Mike had assured her that it was no big deal. "Besides," he had said with a crooked grin. "That means I get to spend three whole days with you." That had made her feel a lot better.

Mel was up early the next morning, lacing up her tennis shoes. She was wearing a pair of yoga pants and a fitted tank top, and her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. She hadn't gone for a run in quite awhile, and she had woken up with the urge.

A quick glance over at the bed let her know that Mike was still asleep, sprawled on his stomach. A flood of warmth washed over her, and for a moment she considered ditching the running and crawling back into bed. It was still pretty early, after all. But if she did that, she would feel guilty for not going.

Mel made her decision, and she grabbed the card key by the door and left the room, heading to the elevator. She stepped in and hit the button for the lobby, fiddling around with her iPod, which was strapped to her arm. She was untangling her earbuds when the elevator doors slid open, and she looked up, surprised because the elevator couldn't have arrived at the lobby so quickly. Her eyes landed on the last person that she wanted to see, and she froze up, a sick feeling settling in her stomach.

"Hey, Melly," Roman greeted her, looking just as awkward as she was feeling. He stepped into the elevator and hit the lobby button as well, then stepped back so he was leaning up against the wall of the elevator.

Mel looked down at the ugly carpet below her feet, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. She hadn't seen or spoken to Roman since she had caught him in bed with Sasha, and this was not the way she had envisioned meeting him again. She wanted to scream at him and break down crying all at once.

They stood in silence as the red numbers ticked down, Roman staring at the doors and Mel playing with her earbuds. She had untangled them already, but she had tied them together again just so she could preoccupy herself with untangling them.

The lobby was only a few floors away when Roman suddenly hit the stop button on the elevator, causing it to halt abruptly. Mel grabbed the rail to steady herself, and then she stared at Roman with wide eyes. What the hell was he doing?

"We need to talk," he said, turning to face her. His tone was very serious, as were his eyes. She had only ever seen this side of him when he was in character; the Roman she had known was playful and always full of laughter.

A sharp stab of pain pierced her heart when her thoughts started to turn to the good times she and Roman had had, and she looked away from him. "I don't want to talk to you. Let me out, please."

"We need to talk about what happened," Roman insisted, not moving an inch. "If we don't talk about it, then you're going to end up hating me forever, and that would kill me."

Mel eyed his hand, which was covering the button on the panel that started the elevator again. There was no way she could push him out of the way; he was 6'4" of solid muscle, and she was only 5'2". She didn't stand a chance against him. "I told you that I don't want to talk," she repeated, getting angrier. "Besides, don't you think it killed me to see you in bed with some other chick?"

Roman ran his free hand through his thick black hair, his eyes full of despair and shame. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I really am. I never in a million years wanted to hurt you. I'm not excusing what I did, but I was so lonely. You always had to go into the arena late, and all I wanted was some love. I see now that I was so stupid. I put myself in that position, and I had no right to blame you for that. All you were doing was your job. I loved you, I still do love you. Sasha means nothing to me, it was just a fling. I'm so, so, so sorry. Please believe me, Melly. I want you back. I need you back. Please."

Mel looked away from him, tears filling her eyes. There was a huge lump in her throat that she couldn't swallow past, and the tears started to trickle down her cheeks. She didn't know what to say. Roman had hurt her so bad, but just being near him made her miss him so much. It felt like there was a big hole in her chest where her heart was supposed to be, and it had gotten even bigger as soon as she had heard his voice. All that she wanted was her loving, playful, laughing husband back. The one who loved her so much he told her every day and every night. She missed him so much.

Roman was still looking at her, his eyes full of hope and love. He hoped to God that she believed him. He wanted her back so badly. These past couple of days had been hell without her. Every night when he went to bed alone, he was reminded of the fact that he had hurt the one person who he loved more than anyone else, and it killed him inside. Not to mention the rumors going around that she and Mike were a thing now. If that turned out to be true, he didn't know what he would do.

Mel made a choking noise in the back of her throat, the tears falling faster now. "I...I'm sorry, I can't do this," she whimpered, pushing his hand away and hitting the button to start the elevator again. It lurched back into motion, and in a few seconds the doors slid open to reveal the lobby.

"Mel," Roman said, his voice full of desperation. "Melly. Baby girl. Please don't run away...not from me...not from us…"

Her mind was spinning and she couldn't think straight. It suddenly felt like the elevator walls were closing in on her, and her breathing started getting shallow and rapid. She stumbled forward, practically falling out of the elevator. If she stayed in there any longer, she was going to pass out.

She could hear Roman calling after her, but she just took off running, heading for the front doors. She needed to get some air before she collapsed. She half expected to hear Roman running after her, but she didn't hear his heavy footsteps at all, which only made her feel worse. It felt like she had just blown her last chance at getting back together with him, but how could she when he had hurt her so bad?

The cool morning air felt good on her skin, and she sucked it into her lungs, trying to calm herself. She sat down on the sidewalk outside the hotel, leaning up against the side of the building. She was sweating pretty bad, even though she had only sprinted from the elevator to the front doors, and her heart was jack-hammering against her rib cage. She wasn't sure what the symptoms of a panic attack were, but she was pretty sure she had one.

Mel brought her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on them, closing her eyes so she wouldn't see the people on the street staring at her. She knew she probably looked odd, but she really didn't care. She needed to take a minute to seriously think about what had just happened, and to consider all of her options. This was going to be one of, if not the, hardest choice she had ever made.

On one hand, there was Mike, the guy who had essentially put her back together. He was so sweet, and kind, and caring, and he treated her with a tenderness that Roman never had. The only downside was that he was still technically married to Maryse, even if they were currently separated. Stephanie was right, it didn't make her any better than Sasha.

On the other hand, there was Roman, the guy who she had fallen madly in love with and married. He had been her first, and she thought he would be her last, until he cheated on her. He was so playful and funny and full of life, though. He brought out the best in her, and she felt like she could be herself around him. He was the love of her life, and he probably always would be.

Mel sighed heavily. They both meant a lot to her, but she could only choose one. The problem was, whoever she didn't pick was going to be crushed.

Why did life have to be so hard?


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

When Mel returned to the hotel room about an hour later, sweaty and out of breath from her run, she kicked off her sneakers and pulled her thick brown hair free from the ponytail she had put it up in. It tumbled around her shoulders, the ache in her scalp letting her know that she had tied it too tight. She rubbed her temples as she walked further into the room, her head pounding not just from the ponytail, but from the encounter she had had with Roman earlier. She still didn't know what to think about what he had told her. His words had been running through her mind on a loop the entire time she was running, but she didn't know what to do. She was just as confused as she was an hour ago.

She suddenly noticed that the apartment was very quiet, and she blinked and called out, "Babe?" When Mike didn't answer, she padded into the bedroom, suddenly very afraid. Mike was usually awake and clanging around in the kitchen by now; it was very unusual for him to still be in bed.

Sure enough, Mike was still curled under the sheets, one of his muscular arms tucked under the pillow. Mel frowned a little at the sight of him. It was so weird to see him still asleep. She shrugged it off, telling herself that it was nothing. He was probably just exhausted. After all, he'd been working a lot lately.

She went into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her and turning the shower on. After making sure that it was hot, she pulled off her yoga pants and tight-fitting tank top, wrinkling her nose when she saw the sweat stains on them. It had been pretty hot outside, and since there were no clouds in the sky, the sun had beat down on her relentlessly. She tossed them into the hamper, thinking to herself that she would have to wash them later.

She hopped into the shower, scrubbing her hair and body as best as she could. She hated feeling sweaty, so she always took long showers after she finished working out, trying to scrub the dirt and grime out of her pores. She slathered vanilla-scented body wash over her tanned skin, loving the smell. She wasn't much of a perfume girl; she hated how the scent seemed to choke you. Body wash was much more her style.

Once she felt clean enough, she shut the water off and stepped out, snatching up a fluffy white towel and wrapping it around herself. She glanced at herself in the mirror, noting her dripping hair, but she didn't feel like drying it at the moment. She adjusted the towel so it would stay on her body without her having to hold it up and opened the bathroom door, intending to go to the kitchen and make some food.

She nearly tripped over Mike, who was on his hands and knees by the side of the bed, gagging. She dropped to her knees beside him, her heart pounding with fear. "Mikey?! Mikey, are you okay?!" She reached out to him, only to quickly pull her hand back as he threw up.

"I...I'm okay…" he said, trying to push himself to his feet, his arms and legs shaking. "I'm fine...I just need to…" He fell back down again, his face very pale and a thin sheen of sweat covering his skin. He didn't look good at all.

"Mikey! You're sick!" Mel exclaimed, extremely worried. What if it was something serious? Should she take him to the hospital? What if it was life-threatening? "We need to get you checked out!" She tried pulling him up, but he was too heavy for her, and she gave up after a few minutes of trying.

"Babe, relax," he said weakly, looking up at her with tired eyes. "It's just the stomach flu. Can you help me back into bed?"

"Of course," Mel responded. She put his arm over her shoulders, determined to get him back on his feet. She tried lifting him up, and with his help she managed to get him back into bed. She pulled the blankets back up over him, tucking him in. She brushed his hair out of his eyes, and kissed his forehead, her heart full of concern. She hated the fact that he was sick, but she was going to take care of him.

After she cleaned up the vomit, she fluffed his pillows up so that he was sitting up more, and then she went out into the kitchen. She opened all the cupboards, looking through everything in there, searching for a specific item. When she didn't see what she wanted, she closed the cupboards in frustration. Was there not a single can of chicken noodle soup in this room?!

Mel poked her head back into the bedroom to check on Mike, and to her slight relief she saw that he had fallen asleep. She crept over to the side of the bed, careful not to wake him, and set the pot that she had gotten from the kitchen next to him. Hopefully if he woke up and had to throw up again, he would grab the pot and use that instead of the carpet.

She snatched up her purse and the key card, and then she slipped out into the hallway. She closed the door quietly, making sure it locked before heading for the elevator. This time, no one disturbed her, and she strode through the lobby and out the doors. She crossed the parking lot to her car and got in, setting her purse in the passenger seat beside her. She recalled seeing a supermarket a few blocks from the hotel, and she started her car and headed there, driving as fast as the speed limit allowed. She didn't want to leave Mike alone for too long.

A few minutes later she left the supermarket, carrying a plastic bag full of cans of chicken noodle soup. When she arrived at the hotel once again, she pulled the bag out of the trunk and headed inside, trying to keep the cans from tearing through the bottom of the bag. She was so distracted that she didn't watch where she was going, and she suddenly smacked into a solid chest. She wobbled, about to fall over, but hands grabbed her arms gently, steadying her.

"Did I always tell you that you need to start paying attention to where you're going?" Roman asked, his dark eyes glittering with amusement as he removed his hands from her arms and shoved them back into his pockets. His long hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and he was wearing a black polo shirt and dark-wash jeans. He looked amazing, and Mel looked away, feeling a blush creep over her cheeks.

"This stupid bag is breaking," she mumbled, holding up the bag so that he could see.

"Here, let me take that for you." Roman took the bag from her, and surprise registered on his face at the weight of it. "Well no wonder it's breaking, this thing is heavy." He glanced at the contents in the bag and then up at her, his eyebrows raised. "You don't like chicken noodle soup."

Mel gave a little shrug. "I heard it's good for people who are sick. It makes them feel better."

Roman's eyes filled with concern. "Are you sick?"

"No," she responded, shaking her head. God, this was so awkward. "Um, Mike is. He has the stomach flu." She shifted from one foot to the other, feeling super uncomfortable. She didn't like talking about Mike with Roman, just like she didn't like talking about Roman with Mike. She was already confused enough.

"Oh, that's rough," Roman said, sounding sympathetic. "I heard that was going around. Will he be alright?"

"I think so," she said, surprised by how concerned he was. "I hope so. I wanted to make him some soup, but there wasn't any in the kitchen so I went out and bought some." She glanced at the sagging bag a little sheepishly. "I might have gone a little overboard…"

"Hey, you obviously care about him and want him to get better. There's nothing to be ashamed of," he told her kindly. "Now come on, let's get this soup back to your room. I'm sure he isn't feeling too good."

Mel hesitated, biting her bottom lip, but then she relented and headed over to the elevator with him on her heels. The ride up to the fourth floor was quiet, but it didn't feel as awkward as it had before. She felt more at ease with him, like she used to be. She kept shooting little side glances at him, only to see that he was doing the same.

They got off of the elevator and headed down the hall until they reached the room. Mel dug the key card out of her purse and swiped it, and she walked in and set her stuff down before taking the plastic bag from Roman. She set it on the counter and then turned to him. "Thank you."

"No problem," Roman said, giving her a warm smile. "Tell Mike that I hope he feels better."

"I will."

Roman gave a little wave, and then he left the room.

Mel pulled the soup cans out of the bag and put them all away except for one, which she proceeded to open with a can opener. She dumped it into a bowl and followed the instructions until it was ready. Picking up the bowl and a glass of water, she went into the bedroom, hoping that Mike had been okay while she was gone.

He was awake when she came in, but it looked like he had just woken up because he was rubbing his eyes. The pot that sat beside him was empty, so that was a good sign.

"Hey baby," she greeted him, walking over with the bowl and glass. She set the water down on the nightstand and handed the bowl to him. "I made you some soup. I thought it might make you feel better." It suddenly struck her that she didn't even know if he liked chicken noodle soup or not. What if he hated it?

"Thank you," Mike rasped, taking the bowl and spooning some soup into his mouth immediately. He seemed to relax as he ate it, some color returning to his face.

Mel sat beside him, watching him eat closely, wanting to be prepared in case he threw up again. When he had finished his soup, she took the bowl and set it on the nightstand as well.

Mike leaned his head back against the pillows, his eyelids drooping. "Thank you for taking such good care of me," he said sleepily. "I'm so glad I have you…" He trailed off, falling into a deep sleep.

Mel leaned forward and kissed his forehead, taking his hand in hers. "I'm glad I have you too."


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Mike's condition started to improve over the next couple of days, which was a big relief for Mel. Even though she knew he had only had the stomach flu, she had still been pretty worried about him. He had only thrown up a few more times after she had gotten back from the supermarket, and then after that he just slept a lot. At one point he had a fever, but she knew that all she could do was just let him sweat it out.

Luckily, the fever broke sometime around midnight, and he slept peacefully after that. Two days later he was up and moving around, although rather slowly. She kept telling him to take it easy, but he was stubborn and insisted on doing everything for himself, a trait that she sometimes adored and sometimes hated.

On the day that Mike was starting to feel like his old self, Mel woke up and discovered that she felt sick to her stomach. She was sweating pretty bad, and her head was pounding. She was about to call out to Mike, who was in the kitchen, when her stomach lurched suddenly. She rolled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just before she threw up. She knelt on the cold floor, her body trembling and her shirt soaked with sweat. She wanted to yell for Mike, but she was so nauseous that she knew if she opened her mouth she would throw up again. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to quell the hammering in her skull.

"Melly?"

Mel looked up to see Mike standing in the doorway of the bathroom, staring at her with concern. He crossed the room and knelt beside her, gently brushing her hair out of her face. As soon as his hand touched her forehead, he looked at her with wide eyes. "Melly, you're burning up."

"I feel like it," she said weakly, leaning into his touch. His fingers were cool, and they felt good against her hot face.

"I think you caught what I did," he said, sounding guilty as hell. "It must be from when you were taking care of me. I'm sorry, baby."

"Not your fault..." Mel rasped, feeling extremely weak. She tried to pull herself up, but her legs were so wobbly that she nearly fell over. Mike scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed, then laid her down. He felt a moment of deja vu as he pulled the blankets up around her, only this time the roles were reversed.

Mel practically melted into the bed, the soft blankets and pillows feeling so good against her aching body. Her stomach was still churning, so she looked at Mike and murmured, "I might need that pot…"

Mike's mind flashed back to the large pot she had set next to him when he had been sick, and he rushed into the kitchen and grabbed it from next to the sink, it having just been washed. He brought it into the bedroom and handed it to Mel, just in time for her to throw up into it.

He held her hair away from her face as she heaved into the pot, feeling horrible. It was his fault she was sick. If he hadn't gotten sick, she wouldn't have had to take care of him, and then she wouldn't have caught it. Even though she had told him it wasn't his fault, he couldn't shake the guilt that clung to him like a crazy ex-girlfriend.

When she was done, he took the pot and went into the kitchen, turning on the sink. It was all he could do not to throw up himself while he rinsed the pot out, but he managed to hold it back. He dried the pot and then brought it back into the bedroom, handing it to Mel again. "Can I get you anything, babe?"

"Water," Mel rasped, her voice hoarse from throwing up. There was a sheen of sweat on her skin, and she was extremely pale. She looked terrible.

"Yeah, okay, of course." Mike hurried out to the kitchen, frantically looking through the cupboards for a clean glass. He found one in the way back and filled it to the brim with cold water, then rushed back to the bedroom. He handed the glass to Mel, who drank it all down in one gulp.

After she finished the water, Mel gave the glass back to him and then leaned her head back against the pillows, shutting her eyes. She was asleep in seconds, so wiped out that not even the nausea she felt could keep her awake.

Mike blew out a puff of air and took the glass back out into the kitchen, filling it full again. He set the glass on the nightstand next to the bed and then sat down in a chair, watching Mel like a hawk. He didn't want to leave the room just in case she woke up and started throwing up again. He knew from experience that the nausea could strike at any time.

He reached out and took her hand in his, frowning when he felt how clammy her palm was. He knew it was just the flu and that he didn't need to be so worried, but he couldn't help it. He felt responsible for this. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles lightly, then rested his head on the side of the bed. She had taken care of him, the least he could do was return the favor.

He must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing he knew someone was pounding on the door. He got up from his seat beside the bed and went over to the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before opening it.

"Uh, hey, Mike." Roman Reigns looked taken aback, as if he hadn't expected him to be the one to open the door.

"Hey." Mike suddenly felt extremely awkward. He didn't know what to say to Roman. Was he expected to say something? This was Mel's husband (or ex-husband), and here he was staying in the same room as Roman's wife/ex-wife. The dude could beat the shit out of him if he really wanted to. "What are you doing here?" he finally asked.

"I just swung by to see if you were feeling better," Roman replied, causing Mike to blink in surprise. "I met Mel coming back from the store a few days ago with a plastic bag packed full of cans of chicken noodle soup, and she mentioned that you weren't feeling too good."

Mike was mildly amused. He had noticed all of the cans of soup, but when he had asked Mel about it, she said that they were already in the cupboards. The fact that she had gone to the supermarket just to get him soup made him feel warm inside. "Yeah, I'm okay now," he told the Samoan Thor. "Mel caught what I had though. I think it was from being in such close proximity to me. She's pretty sick. I was watching over her when you knocked." He decided not to mention the fact that he had fallen asleep.

Roman's face filled with concern. "What? Is she okay?"

"Yeah man, she just came down with the same thing I had. It's just a stomach flu, nothing serious."

"Oh." Roman leaned to one side, trying to look past Mike and into the room. "Can I see her? Just so I can make sure she's okay."

Mike hesitated. He didn't know if Mel would want that or not. But apparently she had talked to Roman just fine a few days ago, so maybe they were back on good terms. He had no idea, and it wasn't like he could just go and ask her. "Yeah, sure," he said finally, moving to the side. "Just be quiet, she's sleeping."

Roman brushed by him without another word and headed into the bedroom, focused only on Mel. Mike trailed behind him, his hands in his pockets. He felt a little twinge of jealousy deep in his chest, but then brushed it off, telling himself that Mel wasn't his anyway. Roman was still legally her husband, so he had more right to see her than he did.

Roman stopped by the edge of the bed and looked down at Mel's slumbering face, his dark eyes softening a noticeable amount. He reached out and gently brushed her hair back off of her forehead, his touch causing her to stir a little. She didn't fully wake up though, she just rolled onto her side and slipped right back into sleep. Roman just stood and looked at her, seemingly distracted by a memory.

Mike couldn't handle it anymore, so he whispered, "Come on man, let's go out into the living room. I don't want her to wake up, it took her awhile to fall asleep."

Roman barely looked at him, but he touched Mel's hair lovingly once more before turning and walking out of the bedroom. Mike shot a glance at Mel, who was still asleep, and then followed him out, closing the door quietly behind him.

Roman was standing with his back to Mike, looking down at the kitchen counter. After a moment's silence, he asked, "Do you have feelings for her?"

The question caught Mike off guard, and he paused for a second before saying, "Yes I do."

"What about Eve and Maryse?" Roman turned slowly to face him, studying him intently with those dark eyes.

"I talked to her about it," Mike said, swallowing hard as he thought back to his conversation with the beautiful Diva a few days ago. "She said she understood, and that you can't help who you fall in love with. And Maryse and I are currently separated. We intend on divorcing soon. Irreconcilable differences."

"So you love Mel," Roman repeated, his voice flat and not giving anything away.

Mike lifted his chin a little and met Roman's hard gaze, determined not to back down. "Yes I do," he confessed. "I haven't gotten a chance to tell her yet, but I intend to soon."

Roman nodded slowly, and then he said, "I know that I was a jackass, and I know that I hurt her really bad. I told her I was sorry for both of those things, and I meant it. I don't know if she believed me or not because she ran away from me, but I'm focused on making it right. You may have feelings for her, and she may have feelings for you, but until she looks me in the eyes and tells me that she doesn't love me anymore, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to fight for her. So you better be prepared."

The huge Samoan turned on his heel and walked out the door before Mike got a chance to respond, pulling the door closed behind him.

Mike leaned up against the kitchen counter once he was gone and ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a sigh. He should have expected this. He didn't know why he ever thought that Roman would just give Mel up. He clearly still loved her.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Mike headed back into the bedroom, hoping that their conversation hadn't woken Mel. Unfortunately it had; the petite brunette Diva was sitting up in bed, looking very sleepy. She smiled warmly when she saw him come in, and she gave a huge yawn before saying, "Hey Mikey. It's weird, I could have sworn I heard Roman's voice just now."

Mike gave a weak smile and sat down on the bed beside her, pulling her gently into his arms. She leaned into him more than willingly, resting her head against his chest, one of her hands grabbing hold of his. The warmth that she emitted made him relax a little, and he stroked her hair as he inhaled her familiar vanilla scent. He didn't know what he would do without her; he had never felt this way about anyone else before.

"No love, Roman wasn't here," he murmured, his voice muffled by her hair. "It must have just been a dream."


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Two days later, Mel and Mike's suspensions were lifted and they were back to wrestling. Since Mel was the Divas' Champion, she had a tougher schedule than she did before, and she was constantly running to PR meetings and events. It was really exhausting, but she loved it anyway. It was nice knowing that she was an important figure in the company, and that people looked up to her and valued her as an asset.

On the other end of the spectrum, Mike barely had any matches now that he wasn't Intercontinental Champion anymore, and when he did have them he lost them. The only times he won any were when Mel was out there with him, to further the storyline they were in. Even then, it always took interference from her for him to be able to pull out the win. It made her feel really bad, because in reality it was her fault that he had lost his title. Mike kept telling her that it wasn't, but deep down she knew that it was, and it was eating her up inside.

Mel was getting geared up on Monday night, preparing for her match against Summer Rae. She had been feuding with the blonde Diva since she had won the title, and while they had been ruining each others' matches before Mel got suspended, tonight was the night that they were finally going to meet in the ring. Summer had started an off-again, on-again relationship with Dolph Ziggler, who just so happened to be feuding with Mike. Because of this, Mike was to accompany her to the ring and stay by ringside, and Dolph would be doing the same with Summer.

Mel and Summer's feud wasn't the hottest feud going on the WWE, but it was pretty intense. Last week during a backstage segment, Summer kept throwing jabs at Mel, saying that she was a fame whore, and only with Mike because he was supposedly "famous". Mel responded by calling Summer jealous, and accusing her of leading Dolph on. The hatred between the two increased until it hit boiling point, and they were eager to get in the ring with each other. Mel was confident that she and Summer could put on a good match, if they were given the appropriate amount of time.

Once she was suited up in her light blue and purple gear, Mel snatched up the title from where it lay on a bench and headed out to gorilla to meet Mike. When she got there, he was sitting on a stack of equipment boxes, already in his gear. He looked up from his phone and grinned when he spotted her, and he hopped off of the boxes. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Mel threw her arms around him in a hug, then pulled back to look up at him. "Are you ready?"

Mike smirked down at her. "Come on, this is me we're talking about. I was born ready."

Mel giggled and whacked his arm, shaking her head in amusement. She was very glad she had him; whenever she was feeling upset or defeated, he was always there to cheer her up and make her laugh.

Mike pulled her into his arms, tilted her chin up, and kissed her very softly. Mel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, then pulled away and peered up at him curiously. He had never kissed her at work before, except for their segments. "What are you doing?"

"Getting into character," Mike responded, dipping his head for another kiss.

"Mel."

The voice startled both of them, and they jumped apart instinctively. Mel turned to see Roman standing there, wearing his gear. His fingers were hooked in his vest as usual, and his long black hair hung around his face. "Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, his eyes fixed on her.

Mel glanced at one of the monitors nearby. The match before theirs was starting to finish up, and then it would be their cue. She looked back at Roman, chewing on her lower lip.

"She can't," Mike said suddenly, grabbing her hand. "We have a match to go to right now." He was looking at Roman almost angrily, as if the fact that he was here was really pissing him off.

Mel frowned and pulled her arm away from him. "I can speak for myself," she told him, a little annoyed. She turned her focus on Roman, giving him a little smile. "Sure, I have a minute or two."

She followed Roman over by the vending machines, far enough away from everyone that they could talk in private. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, waiting for him to speak.

"You ran away so fast the other day, we didn't get a chance to finish our conversation," he said in a low voice. "I'm sorry if I made you panic, or if I made you feel uncomfortable. I was just being honest with you."

Mel rocked back on her heels, looking away from him. She didn't want to talk about this right now, but she knew if they didn't, then they would have to later. "Listen, Roman," she began, running a hand through her hair. "I don't hate you, if that's what you're thinking, but I don't think I can get back together with you. I know you're sorry, and I accept your apology, but I don't think you want me back as bad as you say you do. You haven't tried to get me back at all, except for these awkward little side conversations. You could have come to my room."

Roman's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about? I did."

Mel frowned. Was he messing with her right now? She knew for a fact that he never came to see her. She opened her mouth to respond, but a different voice cut her off. "Mel. Let's go."

Mike came walking up, his expression fierce. He stopped by her side, glaring viciously at Roman. "Our match is up," he said to her without taking his eyes off of the large Samoan man. "We need to go. Now."

"We weren't finished with our conversation," Roman said, his voice a low rumble. Mel recognized that voice; it was the voice he used when he was restraining himself from beating the shit out of somebody.

"Conversation's over. Move along," Mike snapped, taking Mel by the elbow and starting to turn with her, intending to walk away.

Roman moved so that he was standing right in Mike's face, glaring down at him since he was a little taller. Mike glared right back, the air between the two men thick with testosterone and intensity. Mel had no idea what had sparked this sudden hostility, but she knew that if she didn't do something quickly, there would be a very real fight in the middle of the hallway.

"Hey!" she barked, pushing her way between the two of them and placing a hand on each one of their chests. "Knock it off! What the hell is wrong with you two?!" She couldn't believe how they were acting. It was like they were two five-year-olds fighting over a toy, not two grown men.

They both ignored her, instead preferring to glare at each other. Suddenly someone down the hall called Roman's name, and he backed away after a moment, shaking his head as he glared at Mike. "This isn't over," he growled, making it sound more like a promise than a threat. He glanced at Mel one last time before turning on his heel and stalking off, disappearing around the corner.

"What the hell was that?!" Mel demanded as soon as he was gone, whirling on Mike. She had never seen Roman so angry before, except for when Stephanie was messing with her. Actually, now that she thought about it, the only time Roman was this angry was when anyone was messing with her.

Mike didn't reply; instead he just took her hand and tugged her gently over to gorilla, where Dolph and Summer were waiting. Their match was going to start any second, and the two blondes looked irritated that they had made them wait. Dolph's music hit, and he made his entrance with Summer spinning and twirling by his side.

"Hey, talk to me!" Mel demanded in a hushed tone, glowering at Mike. He was obviously avoiding all of her questions, and it was making her really angry. It felt like he was hiding something from her. "If there's something you need to tell me, you better do it now."

Mike kept his eyes locked on the black tape around his wrist, which was starting to peel off. The air around him was suddenly tense, and the look on his face said that he didn't want to talk about anything at the moment. "No time," he mumbled, flattening the tape back down. "We have a match we need to focus on."

Mel went to say something else, but Mike's music hit right before she got the chance, and he held out a hand to her. She looked into his blue eyes, normally clear but at the moment clouded with something she couldn't identify. She had never seen him like this before, and it honestly kind of frightened her. He was normally so goofy and full of light that this sullen side was a shock. She sighed when she realized that he wasn't going to tell her anything until the match was over, so she reached out and took his hand.

She allowed him to pull her through the curtain, and then she faded into her character as the jeering of the crowd greeted them.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Mel ended up winning her match, and she celebrated with Mike inside the ring. As soon as the two of them got backstage, however, Mel let go of Mike's hand and pushed him away from her. She was angry with him for not answering her questions before the match, and she really didn't want him around her right now.

Hurt flashed across Mike's face for a split second when she pushed him away, but then he quickly hid it. "What's wrong?" he asked, though he already knew. He hadn't meant to make her angry with him, he just couldn't give her the answers she wanted.

"You know what's wrong," Mel snapped, her tone as sharp as a knife. She stormed off toward the locker room, not wanting to speak to him anymore than she had to.

Mike didn't let her get away that easily. He went after her, knowing that if he let her storm off she would only get angrier. "Melly, wait," he called, reaching out and catching her by her wrist. "Please don't walk away from me."

"Let go of me!" Her words were like a slap to the face, and he allowed his fingers to go slack. She ripped free and raced off to the locker room, leaving him standing there in shock.

Mel shoved the door open and stumbled into the locker room, her eyes burning with suppressed tears. She refused to let them fall, however; instead she ripped her locker door open and started yanking her gear off ferociously. She pulled on her regular clothes and tossed her gear into her bag along with her title, then zipped it shut. As she was hoisting her bag onto her shoulder, it occurred to her that she didn't have a ride back to the hotel. She had come to the arena with Mike, which meant she had to suck it up and go back to the arena with him too.

Pulling her shoulders back and lifting her chin, she marched out of the locker room and went to wait outside the mens' locker room. Various wrestlers went in and out, all of them giving her curious looks, but Mel stood her ground.

Finally Mike emerged in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, his hair damp from the shower he had taken. He was so focused on the screen of his phone that he almost walked right by her until she kicked him in the shin.

"Ouch!" he yelped, relief registering on his face when he saw her standing there. "Hey. I was just texting you." He held up his phone, but Mel was beyond caring. She was tired and hungry and angry, and she just wanted to go back to the room and go to sleep for a really long time.

"I didn't come to talk," she said harshly. "I just came because you're my ride back to the hotel. Otherwise I wouldn't be here at all. Now can we please go?" She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the floor beneath her feet, knowing that if she looked at his face, she would break down.

Mike swallowed hard. "Okay," he said, his voice very soft. "Let's go."

The ride back to the hotel was silent. Mel leaned her head against the passenger side window and watched the buildings go by, glowing in the night. Every so often she would see Mike glance at her out of the corner of her eye, but she never once turned to look back at him. She just closed her eyes and tried not to think about it.

When they entered the hotel room, Mel dropped her bag on the floor and immediately headed for the bathroom, intending to take a long, hot shower and then go to bed. She was halfway there when Mike called out, "Wait."

She paused and took a deep breath, then slowly turned around. The look on his face hurt her more than she thought it would, and she dug her fingernails into her palms to stop herself from bursting into angry tears. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice sounding tired even to her. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Why are you so angry at me?" Mike asked almost desperately.

"Because you refused to answer any of my questions!" she snapped, planting her hands on her narrow hips and glaring at him. "I don't like that, Mike. It makes me feel like you're hiding something from me."

Mike said nothing, averting his gaze.

"Roman told me that he stopped by to see me the other day," Mel continued, watching him closely. "I don't know anything about that. Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Mike blew out a puff of air and ran a hand through his damp hair, causing some parts of it to stick up in odd directions. She might have thought it was cute if she wasn't so damn angry. "He stopped by when you were sick," he admitted. "You were asleep when he was here, so you didn't know."

Mel stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. Roman had come to see her, and he had kept it from her? "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. "Here I was yelling at Roman for not making more of an effort, and then I find out that he came to check on me when I was sick! That's kind of important, Mike!"

"I didn't tell you because I'm afraid of losing you," he snapped back at her. "If you had known that he came to see you, you would have gone back to him in an instant! It's bad enough that he told me I would have to fight for you! I couldn't risk the chance of losing you!"

"So you lied to me?!"

"Yes! I lied to you, and I'm sorry because I shouldn't have! I did it because I love you!"

Mel's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment they both froze, their anger forgotten because of the three words that had just come out of his mouth. "You...you love me…?" she whispered, a little shocked. She had known that Mike cared about her, but she hadn't expected his feelings to be so strong.

Mike took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. "Yes," he murmured. "I love you. That's why I did what I did. I'm sorry. I was wrong."

Mel looked down at the floor, and then back up at him, a thousand thoughts flying around inside of her head. There were so many bombshells being dropped on her that she felt like pieces of her had been blown all over the place, and she was having a tough time finding them. "Yeah, you were," she said softly.

Mike's face fell, and he opened his mouth to say something, presumably an apology. Before he could get the words out, however, she crossed the room and pulled his head gently down to hers, kissing him with a tenderness that she had somehow found in the deepest reaches of her heart. He kissed her back immediately, and after a few minutes they broke apart, a confused look on his face.

Mel stroked his cheek gently and smiled warmly up at him, losing herself in those clear blue eyes. "I love you too."


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Loud knocking on the door woke Mel from the deep sleep she had been in, and she groaned and rolled onto her back, rubbing her eyes. It was still dark in the bedroom, and a quick glance at the clock told her that it was three o'clock in the morning. She internally cringed; who thought it would be a good idea to come around knocking at three o'clock in the morning?

Mike was still asleep beside her, so Mel got up slowly, careful not to wake him. He had fallen asleep in seconds last night, obviously exhausted. She didn't know if it was from physical or emotional strain, but either way she wanted him to get some sleep.

Pulling on hoodie because it was a little chilly in the room, she padded out of the bedroom and over to the door. She considered looking out of the peephole to see who it was, but she was too short and dragging a chair over would take too much time. Stifling a yawn, she gripped the door handle and pulled it open.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Mel's head snapped back as if she had been punched, startled by the force with which those words had been hurled at her. She blinked at Maryse Ouellet, who stood before her with her hands planted on her tiny hips. She was dressed in a very short, very expensive-looking white dress that left one shoulder exposed, and her brown eyes were narrowed so much they were almost slits.

"I'm-" Mel was cut off as Maryse shoved past her, rolling her eyes and flipping her long platinum hair over her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, Mel closed the door and turned to look at her, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Where's Mike?" the beautiful French-Canadian demanded, stomping around the room. She snatched up a pair of Mel's shoes and made a disgusted face before tossing them away as if they had burned her.

"What are you doing here?" Mel asked, avoiding her question. She wasn't sure if Mike wanted her here or not, and quite frankly she was confused. Mike had told her they were separated and on the verge of getting a divorce, so why had she suddenly shown up at three o'clock in the morning?

"That's none of your business," Maryse scowled, her high heels making a clacking noise as she stomped around the room. "Now where is he?"

"Not here," Mel lied, irked by her bitchy attitude. "You must have the wrong room. I'm the only one staying here."

"_Pour le Dieu!_" Maryse snapped, storming over to the door. She turned to say something else to Mel when she stopped abruptly, her eyes fixed on the hoodie that she was wearing. A sneer flickered across her lips. "Right. And that's why you're wearing his hoodie?"

Mel wanted to kick herself. Maryse was right, the hoodie she had grabbed was one of Mike's. She had been stupid to think that Maryse wouldn't notice it when she and Mike had been married for awhile.

"I'm going to ask you again," the former Diva said slowly, walking forward until her face was only a few inches away from Mel's. "Where is he?"

"Right here."

Both of them turned to see Mike standing in the hallway, his hair ruffled from sleep. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants, and the sleepy look in his eyes told Mel that he had just woken up. She suddenly felt very guilty; they must have woken him up.

"Baby," Maryse purred, pushing Mel aside and going over to him, her long hair fanning out behind her. She wrapped herself around him, and Mel felt a huge wave of jealousy hit her. "I missed you. I came to see you but this…" Maryse paused to look Mel up and down. "..._little girl_ kept lying to me and telling me that you weren't here."

Mel clenched her teeth, wanting to punch the French-Canadian woman square in the jaw.

Mike slipped out of her embrace, gently pushing her away. "Her name is Mel," he said, his voice cool. "What are you doing here, Maryse? We're separated, remember? You were the one who wanted this so bad."

"I made a mistake, _mon amour,_" Maryse said, trailing her fingers down his bare chest. Her voice was dripping with sweetness, but Mel could tell that it was phony. "I miss you. I want you back. We're meant to be together."

Much to Mel's relief, Mike also seemed to sense the phoniness in Maryse's tone. He moved away from her, shaking his head. "You're lying," he told her flatly. "You've always been good at that. Besides, I've moved on. I've found someone who actually loves me for me, and not just for my money."

"What, you mean _that?_" Maryse demanded, pointing at Mel. "She could _never _love you like I do! Just look at her! Do you really want her hanging off of your arm when you go to your movie premiers and WWE events, or do you want me?" She did a little twirl to emphasize her point, showing off her body in the dress. She batted her long eyelashes at Mike, clearly confident in her ability to seduce.

Mike wasn't impressed at all. He crossed the room to where Mel stood and took her hand, giving it a little squeeze. "I want her," he said simply, looking Maryse in the eyes. He was dead serious, and both Maryse and Mel could tell.

Maryse's lip curled with disgust, and she huffed and tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "You're a fool," she spat at him, injecting as much venom into the words as possible. "You always have been. You were married to me, a model, and you fucked it up. All because you couldn't handle the fact that I wanted a little extra fun."

"You were fucking another guy behind my back," Mike growled, anger flashing in his blue eyes. "I wouldn't exactly call that being the best wife ever."

"Fuck you," Maryse hissed, stomping over to the door. She pointed a manicured finger at both of them, her eyes gleaming with malice. "This isn't over." She ripped the door open and stormed out, slamming it behind her.

It was quiet for a few seconds, and then Mel looked up at him with wide hazel eyes. "You never told me she cheated on you," she murmured. Her mind flashed back to that night in the elevator, when he had seemed so understanding. It all suddenly made sense.

"It's not something I like to talk about," he replied quietly. "It cut me deep, just like it cut you. It's not a good feeling at all. I've been trying to forget about it, but of course, Maryse had to go and ruin that too."

"So that night on the elevator...you were so kind because you understood what I was going through," Mel said.

Mike nodded. "I couldn't stand to see someone else feeling the same pain that I was."

Mel reached up and touched his cheek lightly. This new information made her feel even closer to him, like they were bound by pain. "You can tell me anything," she said softly. "I love you. Nothing will change that."

Mike's eyes softened, and he seemed to relax quite a bit. "Thank you," he said, bending his head to kiss her. "I love you too."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

Mel fluffed up the pillows on the bed, trying to get them all comfy looking. She and Mike had decided to have a movie night after Maryse had left, so she was extremely excited. The two of them hadn't been able to relax together in quite awhile, and she was looking forward to snuggling up to him and watching a good movie.

Mike walked into the bedroom, carrying a big bowl that was overflowing with popcorn. He stopped at the end of the bed and stood watching her, scooping handfuls into his mouth. "Do you have a movie picked out yet, babe?"

Mel looked up at him, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Oh! Um...no, not yet. I should probably do that, huh?" She could feel herself blushing a little, which surprised her. She felt like a teenager who was going on her first date again.

"Yeah, probably," Mike said with a little grin. He had offered to pick the movie, but Mel had insisted on being the one to do it. She said that she wanted something cute, and that he would probably only pick action movies. She was right, but he hadn't let her know that. He sat down on his side of the bed and continued to munch on popcorn while she rummaged around in her bag, searching for the DVDs she had brought. When she found them, she pulled them all out and spread them out on the carpet, then sat contemplating which one she wanted to watch. It was a hard decision between two of them, but she finally chose one, putting the rest back in her bag.

"Okay, I picked it!" she chirped, skipping over to the TV. She knelt down and opened the DVD player, then popped the disc in and pressed play. She sprang back up and hurried over to the bed, flopping onto it and snuggling into Mike's side.

Mike chuckled when he saw the movie she had chosen. "Wall-E?" he said in amusement, putting his arm around her. He had never seen the movie before because he wasn't really into cute films, but he was willing to try it out if it made her happy. Plus he had popcorn.

"Yep!" Mel exclaimed happily, snatching some popcorn out of the bowl. "It's my favorite movie! It's so cute!" She put pieces of popcorn in her mouth one-by-one as the movie started, totally focused on the television screen. Even though she had seen it dozens of times before, she was still thoroughly entertained by it. Getting to watch it with Mike was even better, because she had someone to snuggle with.

By the time they were halfway through the movie, Mike had inhaled all of the popcorn. He wanted to go and make some more, but he didn't want to make Mel think that he hated the movie, when in reality he was actually enjoying it quite a bit. He also liked having Mel curled up against him, and he didn't feel like getting up.

Mel was completely entranced by the movie, her head leaning against his chest as she watched it. She could hear Mike's heartbeat beneath her ear, and it soothed her, making her relax fully. She hadn't felt so calm and peaceful in days, and for the first time in a long time she felt like everything might actually turn out okay.

The movie ended on a happy note, and Mel sat up a little straighter, smiling up at Mike. "So what did you think? Was it cute or what?"

Mike smiled back at her. "I'll admit, it was pretty adorable. Like you."

Mel melted at that, a huge smile spreading across her face. "You're pretty damn adorable yourself," she murmured, kissing his cheek. She was about to say something else when her phone buzzed from where it sat on the nightstand, and she reached over and picked it up. She glanced down at the screen and was both surprised and pleased to see that AJ had texted her. She opened the text and frowned when she read what it said.

**I'm standing outside your hotel room. I really need to talk to you. Please come out here. -AJ**

"Babe, AJ says she really needs to talk to me. I'm going to go and see what's wrong, okay?" Mel said, glancing up at Mike. She felt bad for leaving him in the middle of their date night, but she had to see what was wrong with her best friend.

"Okay love, go ahead," Mike replied, waving for her to go on.

Mel smiled at him before walking out of the bedroom.

He waited until he heard the door shut before jumping up and pulling a box full of stuff out from under the bed. He grinned to himself as he began to set up. His plan to get Mel out of the room for a little bit had worked perfectly. He knew recruiting AJ to help him was a good idea.

"You brought me out here to watch a video of a cat playing a piano?"

"Not a piano," AJ corrected her through bursts of laughter. "A keyboard." She was standing next to Mel, playing a YouTube video on her iPhone. As it turned out, there wasn't anything wrong at all. She had just really wanted to show Mel this video.

"This couldn't have waited?" Mel asked, glancing at the time on her own phone. "Mike and I were having some alone time." She had already felt bad enough ditching him, but now she had found out that it hadn't even been for anything important.

"Well excuse me for wanting to show you something that might brighten your day," AJ responded, pretending to be offended. She looked back down at her phone screen and let out another musical laugh, obviously finding the cat very amusing.

Mel rolled her eyes and gave her a little nudge in the ribs with her elbow. "I'm going back inside," she said, opening the door. "You can show me more cat videos tomorrow."

"Wait!" AJ exclaimed, trying to shut the door again, but Mel pushed it open and went inside.

The first thing she noticed was that it was suddenly dark in the room. She blinked and looked around, spotting a flickering light inside the bedroom. She walked over to it curiously, pushing the door open and walking inside.

There were candles scattered all over the room, casting flickering light. Rose petals were scattered all over the floor and bed, which Mike stood in front of. He smiled warmly at the shocked look on Mel's face, then looked past her. "Thanks for your help, AJ."  
"No problem!" AJ chirped. She patted Mel on the back before skipping out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

"Wait, AJ was just the distraction?" Mel asked, the realization dawning on her face.

"Yep," Mike replied, taking her by the hand and drawing her over until she stood by the bed with him. "She was more than happy to lend a hand."

Mel smiled. Of course she was, she was the best friend she could ever ask for.

Mike pulled her to him, cradling her face in his hands. He kissed her very gently, and she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. They kissed a little more, and then he lifted her up and they fell back onto the bed, quickly getting tangled up in each other.

Mel's heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she thought it was going to explode. She had been waiting for this moment for so long. They had come so close that one day in the locker room, but this time it was different. The atmosphere was much more romantic, and she knew that this time she wasn't going to tell him to stop.

They quickly lost their clothing, and Mel held Mike's face in her hands as she kissed him. He pulled away after a few minutes and kissed her neck, then returned to her lips as his hands slid up her thighs. Mel closed her eyes, losing herself in the feel of his hands and lips. It felt like her body had come alive, like electricity was shooting through her veins.

They moved together, their soft gasps getting louder until they were filling the room. Mel wrapped herself around Mike, feeling the pleasure well up full-force. She tangled her fingers in his hair as she toppled over the edge, whimpering loudly. Mike followed right after her, tumbling down into oblivion.

They lay tangled together afterwards, wrapped up in each other and the sheets. Mike had already fallen asleep, and Mel rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat thumping beneath her ear again. She smiled and placed a soft kiss on his skin, mumbling, "I love you." She knew that he couldn't hear her, but it still made her feel all warm inside.

Snuggling up to him even more, Mel closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

"Ready for more cat videos?"  
Mel smiled as she fastened the Divas' title around her waist, instantly recognizing the teasing voice. She was set to have a match tonight against Natalya, in which Summer would interfere, and she had just finished suiting up. She was anxious to get out there, knowing that she and Natalya could put on an excellent match. "I should have known," she said, turning to face her best friend. "You don't even like cats. You're a dog person."

AJ laughed and blinked innocently at Mel. "What are you talking about? I love cats." She laughed again when Mel pushed her playfully and tucked some of her long black hair behind her ear. "Soooo, how was it?" she asked, poking Mel in the side with her index finger. Her big brown eyes gleamed with amusement and curiosity, and she was standing on her tiptoes, the picture of innocence.

Mel's cheeks reddened quite a bit, and she shut her locker and bent to lace up her boots, avoiding AJ's eager gaze. "That's a little personal AJ, don't you think?" she asked, knowing all too well that no question was ever too personal for the Black Widow. Her mind drifted back to the night before, and she felt all fuzzy inside.

"Oh come on, tell me, tell me!" AJ exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I'm your best friend, aren't I? Best friends discuss these kinds of things! I want to know! Was it good? Was it bad? Was it eh? Come onnnnn!"

Mel straightened up, shaking her head at her best friend's antics. She knew that if she didn't tell AJ, the former Divas' Champion would just keep poking at her and poking at her until she got tired of it and told her. "Alright, alright, come here," she said, putting her arm around AJ's bony shoulders and drawing her over to a more secluded corner of the locker room. The last thing she wanted was the other Divas overhearing their conversation and spreading a rumor that she was a whore. "It was amazing," she told AJ in a low voice. "I get all fuzzy inside thinking about it."

"Awww," AJ cooed, her chocolate eyes full of warmth. "I'm so happy for you. But, was he better than Roman?"

Mel bit her bottom lip and looked away from her, then slowly shook her head. As much as she had loved being intimate with Mike, there wasn't that fiery connection that she had had with Roman.

AJ patted her on the shoulder, looking very sympathetic. "It'll be alright Melly," she said. "Mike will make you happy. You two are adorable together."

"Yeah," Mel responded, but she really wasn't sure. She loved Mike, she really did, but deep down inside of herself, she could still detect feelings for Roman. They had been buried underneath all of the anger and frustration, but they were there. She was still very confused when it came to Roman, and she didn't want that to affect her budding relationship with Mike. She cared deeply about both men, but her mind and feelings were so muddled that she didn't know which one truly held her heart, and that was a losing situation for everyone involved.

"Cheer up!" AJ chirped, trying to get her to perk up. "Don't think about that right now, think about your match with Natalya, which is in a few minutes, by the way. You might want to go now, or you're going to miss your cue." She tapped the face of the watch that she carried around with her to emphasize her point.

"Oh shit!" Mel cried once she saw the time. She yanked the last knot on her boots hard and then ran for the locker room door. "Bye AJ, see you in a little bit!"

AJ waved, but Mel was already long gone, the door swinging slowly shut behind her.

Natalya made her way out to the ring first, waving to her fans and hugging little kids by the ramp who had made signs for her. She was cheered by most of the crowd, some of whom were only cheering her because they disliked Mel. She went up the steel steps and got into the ring, then stood waiting in the corner.

Mel's music hit, no longer bubbly and cute but edgy and rough. She walked out with the title gleaming around her waist, and sneered at the crowd. Boos rained down on her, but she acted like she didn't care. She strolled down the ramp, ignoring the fans who stuck their hands out. If she were still a face, she would have gone over and given the little kids hugs like Natalya, but she couldn't anymore. She had to act like the biggest bitch in the company, even though that title went to Stephanie McMahon.

She climbed into the ring and stepped in, then removed the belt from around her waist and held it up in the air, causing the crowd to boo even more. She smirked and pressed a kiss to the butterfly that graced the front of the belt before handing it to Lilian Garcia, who slipped out of the ring.

The bell sounded, and the two Divas locked up for a brief moment before Mel threw Natalya to the mat. She taunted Natalya as she took her foot and smashed her head down against the canvas, over and over and over again. She laughed at the jeering crowd, turning her back on the blonde Diva for just a second. That was all it took, though. When she turned back, Natalya kicked her in the face, causing her to double over. She then proceeded to beat the shit out of Mel for a few minutes, until the brunette Diva got the upper hand once again.

Mel was just about to hit Natalya with her finisher when some very familiar French music started blaring throughout the arena. The crowd went nuts, and Mel felt her heart plummet down until it was in the pit of her stomach. This had not been part of the script. She let go of Natalya and turned to look at the stage, a foul taste filling her mouth.

Maryse stood there, dressed in her ring gear and long jacket for the first time in years. She tossed her platinum hair over her shoulder and smirked at Mel before blowing her a kiss. Mel was furious and extremely confused. Summer was supposed to be the one out there, not Maryse!

She was about to climb out of the ring and go after the bitch when Natalya grabbed her and rolled her up. Remembering this part of the script and not wanting to screw it up, Mel allowed herself to get pinned. Natalya jumped up and celebrated as her music started playing, and Mel slowly sat up, holding the back of her head and glaring at Maryse. The French-Canadian Diva just winked at her, and then spun on her heel and strutted backstage.

As soon as Mel got through the curtain, she went straight for Stephanie, who was chatting it up with Maryse and looking happy as could be. Anger surged through Mel's veins at the sight of that; of course it had been Stephanie who set this up. It always came back to Stephanie.

"Hey!" Mel barked, storming up to the two women. "What the hell happened?! It was supposed to be Summer out there, not _her_." She put as much disgust in that one word as possible and hurled it at Maryse, wanting to let the platinum blonde Diva know just how much she hated her.

"We decided that Summer just wasn't cutting it as a face," Stephanie informed her, her eyes gleaming with sick satisfaction. "She wasn't getting the crowd response we were looking for, so we pulled her from the storyline."

Mel nearly exploded at that. "That's bullshit, and you know it! The crowd was behind Summer one hundred percent! We had great chemistry and we worked well together, not to mention that Dolph and Mike's feud was going great as well! So what, now you're telling me that Maryse is going to be working with Dolph?"

"Not exactly," Stephanie said, her tone causing a sick feeling to develop in Mel's stomach. "You see, since Summer is now out of the storyline, that means that you need someone to face at the next pay-per-view. So, you're going to be facing Maryse, with the title on the line, of course."

"Of course," Mel repeated bitterly. "Of fucking course. Well, fine. I don't even care. I'll beat her ass, and then I'm coming for _you_." She pointed right at Stephanie, not even caring that she would probably get in trouble for threatening her boss. Then she spun on her heel and started heading for the locker room, fuming at this new information.

"Oh, Mel?" Stephanie called after her, causing her to halt and look at her. "One last thing. You won't only be feuding for the title." Stephanie's lips curled up into a smirk. "You'll be feuding for Mike as well."


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

"She what?"

Mel paced the length of the hotel room, running her hands through her hair almost painfully. She had found Mike as soon as she had finished changing into her regular clothes and told him to take her back to the hotel, and she had refused to talk to him the whole ride there. She wasn't angry at him by any means because he hadn't done anything wrong, but she was so mad at Stephanie and Maryse that she was afraid if she opened her mouth she would start ranting and would never be able to stop. So she had kept quiet, noticing Mike shooting her little side glances out of the corner of her eye.

"She's sticking Maryse into our storyline!" Mel repeated, spinning to look at him. He was sitting on the end of the bed, watching her pace with a shocked and dismayed look on his face. By the looks of it, he was feeling the same mixture of emotions that she was.

"What the hell?" he said, eyes blue eyes darkening with anger. "Maryse hasn't wrestled in years. She said she never wanted to come back. And now all of a sudden she decides to put on her boots again? She's only doing this to get back at me for rejecting her." He shook his head in disgust. "I knew she had no shame, but this is low even for her. She's butting her head into our careers."

"This is such bullshit," Mel hissed, beginning to pace again. "I worked hard to get where I am, to get that title. You know Stephanie is going to make me drop it to her, and I won't have a choice. If I go against the script, I'll get fired. The only thing that saved me last time was that AJ was my opponent, and Vince adores her. If I go against the script on my own, there's no way they'll spare me. Not to mention the fact that she'll win you too, which means you'll have to go out there with her every week. That will kill me, and Stephanie knows it."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down before you give yourself a heart attack," Mike told her, standing up and pulling her into his arms. His voice had that familiar teasing note to it, and even though he was clearly trying to make her feel better, she wasn't having it. She was way too angry and upset.

"You don't understand," she said forcefully. "I'm so fed up with all of this. I'm so sick of Stephanie ruining everything that makes me happy. It's bad enough that she wants to take my title, but now she wants to take you too? I can't handle it anymore, Mike. I just can't. I want to quit."

"Hey." Mike's voice was sharp, and he pulled back to look down at her, his mouth set in a firm line. "I don't want to ever hear those words come out of your mouth again, do you understand me? You do not give up. You're a fighter, you always have been. Life is always going to knock your ass down, but the important thing is that you get right back up."

"It's knocked me down too many times," she told him, pushing him away from her. "I can't do this anymore! What don't you understand about that?! I've lost everything! She has taken everything but my life!"

"I'm still here," Mike pointed out. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Mel wasn't a quitter. He knew that, and she knew that. She couldn't give up now, not when she had come so far. If she did that, she would come to regret it later, and so he would do everything in his power to make her understand that she couldn't quit.

"Yeah, but for how much longer?" Mel demanded. "She's trying to take you away from me too, and at this rate, she's going to succeed. I can't think of any way out of this one. She's beaten me."

"She has not," Mike snapped. "We'll figure something out. You need to stop moping and just think for a second. Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to get you anywhere. We need to put her heads together."

"Feeling sorry for myself?!" Mel snapped back, whirling around. "Well excuse me for being afraid to lose the man I love! Excuse me for not wanting to lose anyone else! Excuse me for being angry at the fact that my stupid, devious, royal BITCH of a boss has decided to make my life a living hell! EXCUSE ME!"

"How do you think Roman would react if he could see the way you're acting right now?" Mike said.

Mel froze at that. She just stared at Mike for a couple of seconds, her heart racing. And then she spun around and drove her fist through the mirror that hung over the dresser. The glass shattered, raining down onto the floor and cutting up her hand pretty good. She fell to her knees, clutching her bleeding hand to her chest and crying hard. She knew that Roman would be disappointed in her, and the thought of that along with all of the pressure she was in had finally made her snap.

Mike was by her side in an instant, a washcloth in his hands. He took her wrist gently and wrapped it around her cut hand, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. The cuts weren't very deep, there were just a lot of them, so he didn't think she would need to go to the hospital. Once the washcloth was in place, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight while she sobbed. He might have gone a little far with the Roman comment, but it had gotten through to her, which was what she needed.

Mel sobbed against him, feeling her heart breaking into tiny pieces. Even though he had hit home with that Roman comment, she knew that he hadn't meant to hurt her. She saw everything clearly now. If she gave up, that would only mean that Stephanie had won. Stephanie _wanted _her to quit, and she couldn't stand to give Stephanie anything she wanted. She was a spoiled little rich bitch, and she needed to get a taste of her own medicine. Mike hadn't meant any harm; he had only been waking her up.

"Hey," Mike said, his voice much softer than it had been earlier. He tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him, and gently brushed her tears away. "I know you can do this. I know you. You can do anything you put your mind to. If anyone can knock Stephanie down a few pegs, it's you. You earned that title; don't let anyone take it away from you."

Mel kissed him softly, sucking in a deep breath and forcing herself to relax. She looked up at Mike with a fire burning in her eyes that he hadn't seen in a long time. "I'm not going to quit," she told him firmly. "If I quit, who's going to beat her ass for me?"

Mike grinned and kissed her forehead, then pulled her back into his chest, holding her tight. The Mel that he knew and loved was back and better than ever.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Mel laced up her boots, pulling the laces tighter with every hard yank. Her storyline with Maryse was set to begin tonight, and needless to say she wasn't looking forward to it. She and Summer had had so much chemistry, whereas all that she and Maryse had was hate. Not only that, but Dolph had been booted from the storyline as well, which she thought was incredibly unfair. He and Mike had been involved in a long feud, so to just randomly kick him out and drop that storyline was ridiculous, not to mention the fact that Dolph had needed this feud. Stephanie wasn't fond of the Showoff, so she had been booking him to lose to almost everyone lately. This would have been his way to climb back to the top, but no. Stephanie wasn't having that.

The worst part about this whole thing was that it wasn't just her title on the line. Mike was on the line as well, and even though she would still be with him outside of the ring, the thought of him having to accompany Maryse to all of her matches and having backstage segments with her made her feel sick. She didn't know if she'd be able to handle seeing him with that bitch hanging off his arm all the time.

The locker room door swung open, and Mel looked up just in time to see Paige come in. She had some bad experiences with the British Diva in the past, when Paige had betrayed her during an eleven-on-one handicap match and pinned her in order to become the number one contender for the Divas' Championship, which had been held by AJ at that time. AJ had ended up defeating her, but Mel still didn't trust Paige as far as she could throw her.

Paige walked over to her locker and pulled the hood of her sweatshirt down, causing her black hair to tumble down her back like a waterfall of ink. She took the earbuds of her iPod out and opened her locker, setting her stuff inside before tugging her black gear out. She had been stuck having a match with the talentless Eva Marie tonight, and it was pretty obvious to Mel and everyone else that she had been set up to fail. Paige was a very talented wrestler, but even she couldn't wring a decent match out of Eva.

An idea struck her suddenly, and Mel nearly dropped her title. She stared at Paige, wondering why she hadn't thought of it before.

Paige must have felt Mel's eyes burning into her back, because she turned when she was finished putting her gear on, glowering at the petite brunette Diva. "Is there a reason you're just standing there staring at me?"

Mel closed her locker and walked over until she was only standing a few feet away from her, tilting her head to one side. "So I heard you have a match with Eva tonight," she said, tapping her fingers absently against the face of the title strapped around her waist.

Paige scowled and turned her back on her. "If you're only here to gloat, you're wasting your time," the Brit growled, sounding extremely annoyed and aggravated. "I don't have much patience for those kinds of things, so if you were smart you'd get the hell out of here before I punch your face in."

"I'm not gloating, I just have a question to ask you," Mel assured her, taking a seat on one of the benches. "Paige, was Stephanie McMahon the one who put your name in the slot opposite Eva Marie on the card?"

Paige stiffened. "Yes," she replied, sounding carefully guarded.

Mel gave a little nod, pleased that her instinct had been correct. "That must have made you angry," she said, carefully watching the British Diva, gauging her reaction.

Paige slammed her locker door shut suddenly and spun around to face Mel, her dark eyes burning with anger. "You don't know how I feel," she hissed, the picture of attitude and defiance. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know that you're an opportunist," Mel responded, standing up so that she was at the same level as Paige. She looked into the Anti-Diva's eyes and saw the same burning fury that she knew all too well. It was the kind of fury that came from being mistreated from Stephanie McMahon. "That's why you betrayed me during the handicap match. You saw the opportunity to be the number one contender and you seized it. Which is why you should listen to what I have to say."

Paige studied her, clearly sizing her up. Her lips pressed into a firm line for a moment, and then she gave a little shrug. "I'm listening," she said, unable to hide her interest.

"While I don't like you and you don't like me, we both have one thing in common, and that's hatred for Stephanie McMahon," Mel pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest. "Her actions have affected my marriage, my career, and essentially my life, and now she's trying to take away another thing that I love. I want to stop her before she does anymore damage, and I think you and I can both agree that she needs to be brought down to size."

Paige's posture took on a less hostile appearance, and she was now looking at Mel as more of an equal instead of someone who was beneath her. "I might agree," she said, but Mel could tell that she was just putting up a front. A hunger had appeared in her eyes, and she knew that Paige liked what she was saying.

"Look, as much as I hate to admit it, I need your help," Mel told her. "We need to convince the other Divas that Stephanie is getting too big of a head, and that we need to stop her before she goes completely off the deep end. After all, if she's attacking the two of us, what's to stop her from going after the rest of them eventually?"  
Paige studied her calculatingly, and then she said, "As much as I dislike you, you have a point. And since I would love nothing better than to pay Stephanie back in kind, you've got yourself a deal. But only on one condition."

"Name it," Mel replied. She had been prepared for this. Like she had said earlier, Paige was the ultimate opportunist. She just hoped that she didn't ask for something too over the top.

"After all of this is over, you give me a shot at that Divas' title," Paige said, pointing at the platinum and pink belt around her waist.

"Sure," Mel said without hesitation. "If I'm still champion by then. Stephanie pulled Summer out of the storyline and put Maryse in instead, and I'm pretty sure she's going to make me drop the title to her."

"I know, Summer told me," Paige said, and Mel remembered that the two former NXT Divas were good friends. "She's pretty upset."

"Well then maybe Summer is the next person we should recruit," Mel said, and Paige nodded in agreement. "I have to get to my match, but I'll talk to you more about this later. I'm sure AJ will be on board, so I'll bring her with as well."

"I'll talk to Summer," Paige said. "Oh, and by the way. Don't worry about dropping that title to Maryse. I'll talk to some people and see what I can do about that." At Mel's confused look, she added, "I have some friends in Creative. Just don't worry about it, I'll handle it."

"Okay," Mel said, a little surprised at how nice Paige was being. "Thanks."

"Yeah, yeah."

Mel gave a little wave and then left the locker room, comforted by the fact that she may have just made a new friend.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

Standing across the ring from her best friend was a surreal experience, even though they had been in this exact situation before, the night that Mel won the Divas' Championship for the first time. It had been uncomfortable then too, but it was even worse now because AJ had to pin her. Mel was totally fine with being pinned by AJ, but she hated the fact that it was only happening because her storyline with Maryse called for it to. Stephanie could have picked anyone else to get the win, but she had picked her best friend to spite her. Hell, she would have rather Eva Marie pinned her. If AJ had to pin her, Mel wanted it to be because the two of them had had a long, immersive feud, not fodder for another storyline.

The two Divas locked up, and spent the next five minutes or so trading offense and actually putting on a pretty good show for the fans. The two of them had great chemistry, and since they knew each other like the backs of their hands, their moves flowed together perfectly, creating an almost beautiful symphony of maneuvers. The crowd was really into it, and almost everyone was hoping that those five minutes would last forever.

Unfortunately, Maryse had to ruin everything. The French-Canadian Diva's music hit, and once again Mel looked up at the stage. She thought she knew what to expect, but her heart skipped a bit when Maryse strolled out onto the stage, and anger roared through her veins.

Instead of wearing her own signature long coat, she was wearing Mike's black and grey one. The crowd cheered at this blatant challenge, and Mel heard a rushing sound in her ears, as if she was falling down a deep pit. There had been nothing about this in the script. Maryse was just supposed to come and stand out there again, distracting her long enough for AJ to slap the Black Widow on her. She should have been wearing her own coat, not Mike's. The fact that she even had it begged the question of how she got it. The last time Mel had seen that coat, it had been hanging in Mike's locker room. A little chill ran down her spine, but she pushed it away. There was no way that she had been in Mike's locker room with his permission. She must have snuck in and stolen it.

Maryse looked down at the coat and then up at Mel, clearly pleased by how much it was affecting her. She gave the brunette Diva a little wink before pointing behind her. Mel spun around just in time for AJ to jump on her and lock in the Black Widow. Mel tapped out instantly, wanting to get the match over with. It seemed like she was the only person sticking to the script in this storyline. Maryse was clearly doing whatever she wanted, and she probably had permission to from Stephanie so she wouldn't get in trouble for it. It was all so unfair that she felt like sitting down in the middle of the ring and crying, but she had promised Mike that she wouldn't give up, so she dragged herself out of the ring and trudged up the ramp.

Maryse was laughing it up with a few of the other Divas backstage, spinning around in Mike's coat. As Mel stalked by, she overheard snippets of their conversations.

"You look so cute in that coat, Maryse," gushed Rosa Mendes. "It actually looks better on you than it does on Mike!"

"Speaking of Mike," Cameron said, looking up from filing her nails, "Are the two of you back together? It looks like you're pretty comfortable in that coat, and last I had heard he was with that little bitch, Mel."

Maryse waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about her. That little girl doesn't stand a chance against me. I'll have Mike back in my bed by the end of the week."

They all laughed, and Mel forced herself to keep walking, thinking about how they sounded like a pack of hyenas. Almost all of the women here were so catty, it made it so hard for her to like any of them. There were a few that she was on good terms with, but the only true friend she had was AJ. It frustrated her because she wanted more friends, but none of them wanted anything to do with her.

Mel made her way back to her locker room, feeling exhausted. She knew that she should find Mike and find out how exactly Maryse managed to get ahold of his jacket, but she was just too worn out. She didn't want anymore drama, she just wanted to get out of her sweaty gear.

Mel reached the locker room and pushed the door open, stepping inside. She walked over to her locker, stifling a yawn. She was about to pull her top off when the sound of a throat clearing behind her made her jump out of her skin, and she spun around to see Roman Reigns sitting on a bench behind her.

"Figured I should let you know I was here, even if it was tempting not to," he said, his gruff voice rumbling in the large room.

"You shouldn't be in here," Mel said, surprised by how nervous she sounded. "This is the womens' locker room. What if I hadn't been the one to walk in here?"

"I know you. I knew you would come straight here.". Roman seemed completely relaxed and totally confident, something that never ceased to amaze her.

"You aren't even supposed to be in the arena," Mel pointed out. "You quit, remember?"

"They gave me my job back when they found out I wasn't with you anymore."

Mel flinched at that. "Oh. Good to know."

Roman stood up and walked over until he was standing in front of her. He looked into her eyes, bringing his hand up to the side of her face. "I would give up my job all over again, just to get another chance with you," he said, his voice very soft and sincere. His dark eyes were unusually gentle, and he was looking at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

A chill ran through Mel when he said that, and she found herself questioning her earlier thought that he really didn't want her back as bad as he said he did. Now that she was standing so close to him, she could see in his eyes that he meant every word. She suddenly felt very stupid for not believing him before. It was just so hard to trust him again. Seeing him in bed with someone else had ripped a chunk of her heart out, and she wasn't sure she would ever be able to get it back.

"You hurt me so bad," she whispered, gazing up at him. She didn't try and remove his hand from where it rested on her cheek; it felt nice, and she had forgotten how comforting his touch was. "So, so, so bad. It made me feel like I wasn't enough for you. Not pretty enough, not smart enough. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I felt so stupid for ever thinking you loved me."

"But I did," Roman insisted, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I always did. I never stopped loving you, not even when you started getting involved with Mike. I still do love you. I tried to tell you, but you ran away from me that day in the elevator. I know that I hurt you, and I hate myself for it. I am so, so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I was being selfish, and I will never forgive myself for that. The look on your face will haunt me forever. Please give me one more chance to make it right. Please."

Mel could feel her heart being ripped in two. Part of her still loved Roman and wanted to go back to him, but the other part had been claimed by Mike. Mike had been the one to put her back together after Roman had shattered her into little pieces, and she was forever grateful to him for that, but Roman had been her first love, her husband, her everything. It was so hard to walk away from him the first time, she wasn't sure she could a second time.

Roman was still gazing at her, waiting for an answer. There was a hopeful expression on his face, and he looked so much like the Roman she knew and loved that she wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss him with everything she had. But Mike…

Mel covered his hand with hers, and looked up into his eyes. "I need more time to think," she murmured, a little edge of regret in her voice. "You have to understand, I still love you, but Mike is so good to me. It's so hard to choose."  
Roman nodded in understanding. "Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait as long as it takes. I'd wait forever for you if I had to." He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and she closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of his lips against her skin. He pulled away and gave her one last lingering look before opening the locker room door and slipping out.

Mel watched the door swing shut, and then she ran a hand through her hair and sat down on a bench. She knew that she needed to make a decision very soon, but she had never expected it to be this hard.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

Mike was already up when Mel awoke the next morning, clanging around in the kitchen and making a whole lot of noise. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, stretching and hearing her joints pop almost painfully. Sunlight was streaming into the room, letting her know that it wasn't too early in the morning. She swung her legs out of bed and padded out into the kitchen to see what Mike was doing that was causing such a ruckus.

Pancakes were sizzling in a pan on the stove when she entered, Mike standing vigil with spatula in hand. He would flip one over every so often, being careful not to burn any. His hair was ruffled from sleep and he wore a pair of sweatpants, and the tip of his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth when he concentrated in the most adorable way. A few minutes passed before he felt her eyes on him, and he turned to look at her. A grin spread across his face, and he waved the spatula in greeting. "Hey you! You're just in time for breakfast!"

Mel blinked, surprised. "What's the special occasion?" she asked, walking over to the kitchen table and taking a seat. There were dishes and silverware already on the table, along with two glasses and jugs of milk and orange juice. This was something she had never woken up to before, although she wasn't complaining in the slightest.

"What do you mean?" Mike called over his shoulder, still standing at the stove.

"You never cook," Mel pointed out, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. It didn't have any pulp, just the way she liked it. She took a sip and added, "The closest you've ever come to cooking anything is grilled cheese, and you burned the living hell out of that."

"Well it's pretty hard to get pancakes wrong," Mike replied, scooping all of them out onto a waiting plate. "I mean all you have to do is follow the directions on the back of the box." He turned the stove off and brought the plate over to the table, setting it by a bottle of maple syrup and a container of butter. He then sat down and took the other glass, filling it to the brim with milk.

The pancakes were golden brown and fluffy, much to Mel's delight. She hooked one with her fork and transferred it to her plate, then smeared it with butter. After drizzling some syrup over the pancake as well, she started to eat, surprised at how good they were.

Mike was watching her face closely, and a look of happiness appeared in his eyes when he noticed that she was gobbling the pancake down. "Not so bad, huh?" he grinned, a teasing note to his voice. He ate his own pancake hungrily, barely pausing to breathe.

"Any other hidden talents you want to let me know about?" Mel asked, taking a gulp of her orange juice. This was definitely a great thing to wake up to, and she wanted him to do it more often. It helped her feel like she could take on the world.

"Did I mention I'm a magician?" he asked through a mouthful of pancake. His aqua eyes glittered with amusement, and she laughed.

"Oh yeah?" she said. "What magic tricks can you perform?"

"I can make pancakes disappear," he declared, snatching another pancake off of the plate and grinning cheekily at her.

They annihilated almost all of the pancakes, and Mike put the ones that were left in the fridge for later. Mel glanced at the clock and was startled to see that it was almost nine o'clock. "Oh shit," she said, heading for the bedroom. "I have to change. I need to be at the arena by nine-thirty."

"Okay," Mike called after her. She could hear him banging around in the kitchen again, probably cleaning up. She smiled to herself; leave it to Mike to be as noisy as possible.

After pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a stretchy black track jacket with the WWE logo emblazoned on the front, Mel walked out into the living room. Mike had finished cleaning everything up and was sitting on the couch, watching some reality show on TV. Mel leaned over the back of the couch and gave him a quick kiss goodbye. She was reluctant to leave, partly because she wanted to spend more time with him and also because she had to go and meet with Maryse to talk about their storyline, which was the last thing she would ever want to do.

"See you in a bit, babe," Mike said with a warm smile.

Mel gave him a little wave and then slipped out the door.

* * *

Maryse looked anything but happy to see her. She sat at one of the corner tables in Catering, filing her painted nails and shooting dark looks at her. Her long legs were crossed, exposing her designer heels. Her platinum hair fell perfectly, and her makeup was flawless. Her lean body was encased in a pair of expensive jeans and equally as expensive crop top, her toned stomach on display. She looked every bit like the model that she was, and Mel suddenly felt very frumpy in her sweats and track jacket.

Sucking in a deep breath, Mel made her way over to the table and took the empty seat across from Maryse. The former Divas' Champion eyed her, annoyance shining as clear as day in her eyes. She continued to file her nails, seemingly refusing to speak to her.

"Well?" Mel said, finally breaking the silence. "What do we need to discuss?" She felt extremely uncomfortable sitting so close to the woman who clearly had it out for her, and was trying to take both her title and her boyfriend. She silently cursed herself for agreeing to do this. It wasn't that she wanted to talk to Maryse, she just wanted to put on a good performance, and that meant communicating with her.

Unfortunately, Maryse didn't seem to share the same idea. She stayed silent, ignoring Mel as she examined her nails.

Mel ground her teeth together painfully, starting to get a little pissed off. She didn't come here to be ignored, or treated like she was nothing more than a speck of dirt on Maryse's fancy shoes. She slammed her hand down on the table, causing the other woman to jump a little and look up, a faint look of surprise on her beautiful face. "Listen," she said, her voice sharp. "I didn't want to come here as much as you did, but I forced myself to because I love my job and I want to do the best I can. So the faster you start talking to me, the faster we can both get the hell out of here. Got it?"

Maryse still glowered at her, but she noticed a tiny hint of respect in her chocolate eyes. "Fine," the French-Canadian Diva said grudgingly, shoving her nail file back into her large purse. "What do we have to talk about?"

"Mike," Mel replied, looking down at the script that lay on the table in front of her. "We need to discuss how we're going to make the conflict between us seem convincing. That shouldn't be too hard, though."

Maryse let out a little laugh, tossing her long shiny hair over her shoulder. "Well if you want it to be convincing, then you should just relinquish Mike to me," she said arrogantly, her thick accent somehow making her even more annoying. "We both know that's what's going to happen in reality anyway."

Mel narrowed her eyes at Maryse, fighting the incredibly strong urge to lunge across the table and rip a handful of that stupid hair out of her scalp. Here she was trying to be professional and focusing on performing to the best of her ability, and this bitch kept bringing up her boyfriend. She hated the fact that Maryse seemed so sure that she was going to win Mike back. She had no idea how much Mike loved Mel, and how much he despised her. It wasn't as easy as she kept making it out to be.

Maryse smirked back at Mel, her dark eyes gleaming with malice. It was clear that she reveled in the rise that she got out of the petite brunette, and that her satisfaction came from making Mel as angry as possible. Figuring this out, Mel took a deep breath and managed to calm herself down. She didn't want Maryse to think that she had won.

"It won't be as easy as you think it will," Mel told her, her voice even and calm. "He's not too fond of you anymore, not after you jumped into bed with another guy. And in case all of that hairspray fried your brain and you can't remember, he pushed you away the last time you tried to get all flirty with him. Nothing has changed since then. You can keep trying if you want, but it's not going to work. He loves me." She was pretty proud of her little speech. She had marked her territory, and hopefully Maryse would get the hint.

Maryse stared at her for a couple of seconds, her eyes narrowed into slits. Then she let out a mocking laugh and stood up, grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. "All of that may be true, but you're forgetting one important detail," she said, looking down on Mel, who was still seated.

"What's that?" Mel asked, tapping her fingers on the table top and trying to hold in her anger.

Maryse's glossed lips curled up into a condescending smirk. "He loved me first," she said simply, before turning and strutting out of Catering, her heels making loud clacking noises on the tile floor.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

After waiting for about half an hour and coming to the conclusion that Maryse wasn't going to return and finish their meeting, Mel got up from the table, gathering her things. She was extremely annoyed by the fact that Maryse didn't seem to consider this storyline as important as she did, which meant that the storyline was going to be shit. Mel hated not doing the best she could in everything, and so the fact that Maryse didn't care as much as she did drove her up the wall.

"All I asked for was a little practice," Mel grumbled to herself as she gathered up her stuff. "Apparently that's too much to ask." She shoved her script into her bag with a lot more force than what was necessary.

"Melly?"

Mel jumped about a foot and spun around, her heart pounding in her chest. To her surprise, Roman stood in front of her, his long hair pulled back into a ponytail and wearing a black Under Armour shirt. She hadn't expected to see him here; it was too early in the morning for anyone to be at the arena yet. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to calm her heart. "Oh, hey, Ro," she said, a little tremor in her voice. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I came to practice in the ring," he said, holding up a bag with his ring gear in it. "I come here a lot. I like it early in the morning, when nobody else is here and it's quiet. What about you? You're never here this early. You like to sleep in."

Mel felt her face flush a little, butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She was pleased to know that he had remembered. "Um, I came here to meet up with Maryse," she said, zipping up her bag. "We were supposed to talk about our plans for our storyline, but she stormed out, so…" Mel gave a little shrug, looking away from him. Just the mere thought of Maryse was making her blood pressure skyrocket again.

"Sounds like typical Maryse," Roman mused, shaking his head. A few strands of hair slipped out of his ponytail and framed his face, making him look even more attractive, if that were even possible. "Well, I'm glad you're here," he added, giving her a wide smile.

"You are?"

"Yes." Roman pulled the strap of his bag up onto his shoulder once again. "I need someone to watch me practice, and tell me what I need to improve on."

"Oh." Mel was slightly disappointed, but she kept a stoic expression. She didn't know what she had expected. Of course Roman wasn't going to ask her to do anything romantic with him, she was with Mike. "Okay, sure," she said, forcing a smile.

She and Roman walked out to the ring, and she sat on the edge of the barricade as he climbed in. He warmed up with a few stretches and running the ropes a few times, and then he practiced his moves for a little while. Mel watched closely, occasionally pointing out something he could improve on or something that he was doing well. She found that she liked watching Roman in the ring, especially up close; he moved so gracefully, and every move was done with confidence. It was beautiful to see.

"So what did you think?" Roman asked, panting slightly. His shirt was plastered to his upper body with sweat, allowing her to see every definition of muscle. More of his hair had escaped his ponytail, and he reached up and pushed it out of his face. He looked at her expectantly, his dark eyes alight with excitement.

"You're fantastic," Mel breathed, and then she snapped out of the trance she had been in. "Um, I mean, you did great for the most part," she said quickly, tucking some brown hair behind her ear. "There were a few mistakes, but none that would be too noticeable to the fans. You're very confident and in-control in the ring, which is definitely a good thing. All of your hard work is clearly paying off." Her eyes kept drifting over his toned body, and it was a struggle to return them to his face.

Roman's grin was huge. "Thanks! It's a huge relief to hear you say that." He rolled out of the ring and walked over to where she sat, grabbing his water bottle off of the steel steps when he went by. He stopped right in front of her and raised the bottle to his lips, but he squeezed too hard and the water squirted out, soaking him. He made a face and pulled his wet hair free of the ponytail, shaking it out. Mel just stared, her eyes roaming over his built physique and smooth caramel skin. She had forgotten how hot he was.

"What is it?" Roman asked, noticing her staring at him. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, which Mel couldn't stop looking at. It had been so long since she'd last kissed those lips.

Roman set his water bottle down and placed his hands on the barricade on either side of Mel, so close to her that she could smell his cologne. Her heart skipped a beat; he was wearing the cologne she had gotten him for their third anniversary. She suddenly felt like crying, and she looked down at the floor.

"Hey…" Roman murmured, tilting her chin up so that she was looking into his eyes. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Mel stared at him for a few seconds before sliding her arms around his neck and crushing her lips to his. Roman was so startled that he just stood there for a moment, but then he started to kiss her back immediately. His hands moved to rest on her hips, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, keeping his mouth pressed firmly to hers. Her mind was exploding with all of the emotions she felt, and she never wanted to stop kissing him. Memories from when they had been together were flitting through her head, and she tightened her grip on him, never wanting to let go.

The kiss lasted for what felt like forever, but it was really only five minutes or so. Roman was the one to break it, pulling away but keeping his hands on her hips. He looked into her hazel eyes, searching for any sign of regret or shame. When he didn't find any, he whispered, "What's going through your head?"

Mel swallowed hard, a sudden lump forming in her throat. "I miss you," she whispered back, her voice cracking a little. She was being completely honest; she had always missed him, but she hadn't realized how much until now. The spark that had flown between them was electric, and she didn't want to ever let him leave her again. Her hands were clutching his shirt tightly, keeping him pressed up against her.

"I miss you too," Roman murmured, tilting his head forward so his forehead was resting against hers. He closed his eyes, relishing in her warmth. After he had screwed up, he had never expected to have her in his arms again. It looked like Mike had won her over, but the emotion he had felt rolling off of her had proven otherwise. Dumping the water bottle over his head had been his last shot, and it looked like it had paid off.

A sob caught in Mel's throat, and she slid her hands up his chest to rest on the sides of his face. "Please don't ever hurt me like that again," she said quietly, a few tears escaping her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. "Please...it hurt so bad…"

"I won't," Roman whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Never again. I promise."

Mel gave a little nod, an ache deep in her heart. It was so hard to trust him again, but she was willing to give it a try. She still loved him despite her best efforts to forget about him, and they were technically still married. She wasn't sure why she never filed for divorce; maybe it was because deep down, she didn't want to let him go.

Roman could tell that she was reluctant to place her trust in him again, but he was going to prove to her that he was never going to hurt her again. His life had been so empty without her in it.

Mel gently pushed him away from her so she could hop off of the barricade, and then she stretched up on her tiptoes to kiss him again, melting at the feel of his soft lips against hers.

Up on the stage, Maryse peeked out from the curtain, smirking at what she saw. She held up her iPhone and snapped a picture, grinning when it came out perfectly.

This was just what she needed.

* * *

Mike smiled from where he sat on the couch when Mel walked back through the door, happy to see her. "Hey babe," he said, holding his arms out to her.

Mel dropped her bag and walked over, climbing into his lap and leaning against his chest. Her mind was whirling with millions of thoughts, but for some reason only one came to the forefront. "Hey Mikey?"

"Yeah?" Mike replied, looking down at her curiously.

"How did Maryse get your coat?" she asked. "I know it was hanging in your locker room, so…" She trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Oh. She snuck into my locker room and took it," Mike answered, but he wouldn't meet her gaze, instead focusing on the TV.

Mel nodded, but deep inside she felt nervous. It was odd of him not to look at her when he was answering a question, and his voice sounded odd. She told herself to forget about it, that nothing was wrong, but deep down she knew that he was keeping something from her, and that was what scared her most of all.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

"I see you've been working hard."

Mel lowered her taped hands, trying to slow her breathing. The punching bag swayed slowly on its chain in front of her, unsteady from the beating she had given it. She had come to the gym with the specific goal of taking some of her frustration out on the equipment, and when the punching bag had caught her eye, she had immediately known that she needed to take advantage of the opportunity. Unfortunately, it appeared that her fifteen minutes of peace were up.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" the petite brunette Diva sighed, turning to face Stephanie McMahon. She couldn't even escape to the gym anymore. It seemed like wherever she went, Stephanie always knew where to find her, and how to ruin her day. "I came here to get _away _from bitches like you."

Stephanie didn't even flinch. She was dressed in a black dress with white strips on the sides and strappy heels, letting Mel know that she definitely didn't come to work out. It was blatantly obvious that the only reason she was there was to torment the Divas' Champion. "I just came to see how you were doing," she said casually, a predatory gleam in her eyes. The look on her face was that of a ravenous wolf who had cornered its prey, and it made Mel uneasy.

"What are you talking about?" Mel snapped, tucking some hair behind her ear. She wasn't in the mood for games. All that she wanted to do was finish her workout in peace, but she knew there was a slim chance of that happening. There was no way Stephanie was going to leave her alone without throwing some sort of jab at her.

"Well I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay after your breakup with Mike," Stephanie said innocently.

Mel just heaved another sigh and turned back to the punching bag. Stephanie's plots were getting quite old now, and they weren't even as creative as they used to be. Whatever was about to come out of her mouth next was just a load of bullshit, and Mel didn't have time for it. "Mikey and I didn't break up, Stephanie," she called over her shoulder as she readied herself to hit the bag again. "You can leave now."

"Really?" Stephanie said, feigning surprise. "Well, that's really odd. I figured you must have, because there's no way you would make out with Roman Reigns if you were still with Mike."

Mel froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her stomach lurched as if she had just fallen a hundred feet, and she suddenly felt as if she were going to be sick. How did Stephanie know about that? She and Roman had been the only two out by the ring at the time...or had they? She slowly turned to look at Stephanie, struggling to keep her face void of any emotion. She knew that if she showed any signs of shock or horror, Stephanie would know that her information was correct. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said flatly.

Stephanie tapped her polished fingernails against her chin thoughtfully. "I suppose that picture could have been photoshopped," she mused, watching Mel's face closely.

Too late, Mel covered up the shock that had flitted briefly across her face. Picture? There was a picture? That meant there had been someone else in the arena, someone who had to have been looking to destroy her by taking that picture and handing it over to Stephanie. The only person she could think of who had been at the arena at that time was…

It hit her like a bolt of lightning. Maryse. Of course it was Maryse. The French-Canadian woman had every reason to try and ruin her relationship and her career, and by taking this picture, she may succeed.

Stephanie had noticed the look on her face before she could cover it up, and her lips curved up into a satisfied smirk. She had needed to make sure the photograph Maryse had brought her was authentic and not altered in any way, and Mel had just confirmed it. This was just what she needed to finally destroy the Divas' Champion once and for all. "I'm sorry, I must be mistaken," she said dismissively, backing toward the door of the gym. "Forget I said anything. Have a nice day." She spun on her heel and strode off, pushing her way out of the door and disappearing.

Mel stood there for a second, staring after her numbly, and then she whipped around and drove her fist into the punching bag as hard as she could, causing it to swing up and smack the ceiling. Then she sat down on the floor and drew her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead on them and trying to keep from bursting into frustrated sobs.

* * *

Roman raked his hands through his thick black hair as he paced the length of the hotel room, fighting the urge to roar in anger. He couldn't believe that Maryse Ouellet had had the gall to not only take a picture of them when they were supposed to be having an intimate moment, but to take the aforementioned picture straight to Stephanie McMahon, who he imagined had been more than happy to get her grubby little fingers on it. "I can't believe that bitch," he growled, spinning around and walking back to the other end of the room. "Who the hell does she think she is, treating you this way?!"

Mel just shook her head from where she sat at the end of the bed, too exhausted to tell him that Stephanie had been treating her like this for months now, and she wasn't likely to stop now. Why would she, when she was clearly winning their little game? "She's the bosses' daughter," she said softly, staring down at the carpet. "She can do whatever she likes, simply because no one is going to stop her. She can torture me for as long as she wants. No one cares."

"I care," Roman said firmly, sitting down beside her and taking her hand in his. "I always have cared. You know that."

"I know," Mel whispered, looking down at their intertwined fingers. She felt a tiny bit better knowing that he wasn't going to leave her again, and that he was right by her side, supporting her no matter what. "Mike is going to be so upset when he sees that picture," she added quietly, tears filling her eyes. "You know they're going to show it to him. I...I never meant to hurt him...I'm just as bad as Maryse…"

"Don't say that," Roman said fiercely, shaking his head and pulling her into his arms.. "You're a thousand times the woman she is. Mike will understand, he's a caring guy. He knows you would never hurt him on purpose. He loves you."

Mel squeezed her eyes shut, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew that Mike loved her, and that was the worst part of it all. She always seemed to hurt the people who loved her the most, and it only made her hatred for herself grow. She just leaned into Roman, clutching his shirt and trying not to wail in dismay.

She needed to be honest with herself. Stephanie and Maryse weren't the ones who were about to ruin her life. She had done that herself.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

When Mel let herself into the hotel room a few hours later, Mike was leaning up against the kitchen counter, staring at something on his phone. She set her bag down and glanced over at him, confused. Normally when she came back from somewhere, Mike would greet her with that happy grin he always wore, but he didn't even look up from his phone screen. Something felt off, and she said, "Mikey? Are you alright?"

Mike finally looked up at her, and his expression could only be described as shattered. "No," he said slowly, glancing back down at his phone. "No, I"m not alright. I'm as far from alright as I could possibly get."

It felt like her heart had stopped beating. She had a feeling she knew what he was looking at on his phone, but she hadn't expected him to see it so soon. Stephanie must have sent it to him right after she left the gym, unable to wait. "What is it?" she said softly, figuring that she should ask anyway. If it wasn't the picture and she started going on about it, then she would have dug her own grave.

Mike just held up the phone without a word, letting her see the screen. Sure enough, it was the picture of she and Roman at the ring, locked in a passionate kiss. Mel unwillingly winced; the picture looked pretty bad. Her hands were clutching Roman's hair, keeping him pressed up against her, and it was pretty obvious that she wasn't attempting to get away from him. There was no talking her way out of this one.

He saw the look in her eyes, and he immediately knew that the picture was legitimate. He lowered his phone, unable to stop looking at the picture. She had never clung to him like that when she kissed him, and the peaceful and happy expression on her face said it all. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but this one was worth millions. "Yeah," he said flatly, tabbing out of the photo app on his phone so he wouldn't have to stare at it anymore. "So you'll understand if I'm not exactly happy to see you at the moment."

"Mikey," Mel said, stretching out a hand to him. "Please don't be angry. I can explain." It was the most cliché'd line ever, but she felt an intense need to try. It was an odd feeling, one that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Even though she had come to terms with the fact that she still loved Roman, she loved Mike too, and she didn't want to lose him. Although judging by the anger and hurt that was rolling off of him in waves, she already had.

"No," Mike responded, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "You can't explain. There's no way you could explain this. It's exactly what it looks like." He waved the phone at her for emphasis. "It's not photoshopped. It's real. This is you, isn't it? You and him?"

Mel closed her eyes, feeling the beginnings of a headache beginning to take hold. She always got one whenever she was stressed, and this was definitely a situation that called for one. "Yes," she said softly, feeling the first inklings of shame and self-hatred start to trickle in. She had known this would all come crashing down on her eventually, she just hadn't expected it to be this soon. The worst part of it all was that she had hurt the person who had taken care of her for so long.

Mike put down the phone and ran his hands over his face, suddenly looking exhausted. "Why?" he asked, fixing his gaze on her. "I took really good care of you, or at least I thought I did. Did I do something wrong? Were you not happy with me?"

"No, no," Mel said hurriedly. "It's nothing like that. I just...I still have feelings for Roman. I know I shouldn't because he hurt me so bad, but I do. I can't help it. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. It just sort of happened, and then Maryse took that picture and gave it to Stephanie, and she sent it to you. This is not the way I wanted you to find out. I wanted to tell you myself."

Mike raked a hand through his messy hair and sighed. "So are we done? Is this your way of breaking up with me? 'Cause you could have just straight out told me that you didn't want to be with me anymore."

Mel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about? Are you implying that the only reason I kissed Roman was to tell you that I want to break up with you? Because that's not what I meant."

"I'm just trying to wrap my head around this," Mike said, crossing his muscular arms over his broad chest. "You and I were both the victims of cheating. We got together, and it felt like we were healing each other, you know? And then I get this picture, and I realized that I just got cheated on twice…"

"It was just a kiss," she said, a little irritated. "It didn't go beyond that. I had a lapse of judgement, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen. I wasn't trying to hurt you, and I never said that I want to break up with you."

"Well then I guess I'll save you the trouble," Mike responded, looking away from her. "Don't forget to pick up your bag on your way out."

It felt like she had just been smacked in the face. She stared at him blankly for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what he had just said. It suddenly hit her that he had just broken up with her. A numb feeling settled in her limbs; this was not how she had expected the confrontation to go down. She had known Mike would be angry with her, but not angry enough to break up with her. "What?" she said, her voice cracking. "Mike...you can't be serious?"

Mike just looked at the floor and didn't say a word.

Tears stung Mel's eyes, but she wasn't going to let him see them fall. She had made a mistake, she admitted it, but it only went as far as a kiss. She hadn't slept with Roman while she was with Mike, so the fact that he had dumped her over it seemed unfair and drastic. Even so, she respected his decision. She walked slowly over to where her bag sat by the door and picked it up, shrugging the strap onto her shoulder. She opened the door and looked back at Mike, a pleading look in her hazel eyes.

Mike didn't move. She saw a single tear slid down his cheek, but he didn't say anything.

Mel saw the writing on the wall. She swallowed hard and pushed the door open, leaving him behind.

* * *

Mel didn't think it was possible for a wooden door to look so intimidating. She took a deep breath and then knocked, a sick feeling permanently settling in her stomach. She didn't know if coming here was the best idea, but she had nowhere else to go, and she couldn't exactly sleep out in the middle of the hallway.

The door swung open, and Roman stood there in a pair of sweatpants and a black tank top. He blinked a couple of times when he saw her, as if making sure it was really her and not an illusion. "Mel?" he said, pushing his hair out of his face. "What are you doing here?"  
"I...I need somewhere to stay," she said, stumbling over the words. She was emotionally and physically exhausted, and she just wanted somewhere to collapse and break down. "Mike and I just broke up, and he kicked me out of his room…"  
Roman's dark eyes went wide. "You can stay here," he said quickly, ushering her inside and taking her bag from her. He set her bag down and guided her over to a chair. After she sat down, he crouched down next to her and looked up into her eyes. "Tell me what happened."

The tears started to flow now, and Mel choked out, "Stephanie sent him the picture that Maryse took of us...I tried to tell him that it was just a kiss...but he dumped me..." Her voice broke, and she finally dissolved into sobs, her entire body shaking from the force of them.

Roman's heart sank. It was his fault that Mike had broken up with Mel. If he had just kept his hands to himself and didn't tempt her, none of this would have ever happened and she would still be with Mike in his hotel room. "You really love him, huh?" he murmured, reaching up and gently wiping her tears away with his thumb. He knew that she did, but he needed to hear it from her.

"Yes…" Mel sobbed, curling into a ball. "Yes, I love him...and now I lost him…"

Roman stood up and draped a blanket over her shoulders. He thought that he had a chance at winning her back, but he saw now that he never could. Mike had stolen her heart, and rightfully. He had been the one to put her back together, and she had fallen deeply in love with him. If she were to be with him now, she would only be miserable. "Stay here," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'll be right back." He walked over to the door and stepped out into the hallway, then started walking toward Mike's hotel room.

He was going to make this right, for Mel's sake.


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

Loud knocking on the door to his hotel room woke Mike from the restless sleep he had been in. It had taken him hours to finally drift off, and even then he had had terrible dreams. He kept seeing Mel's face, shattered by the weight of the words he had spoken to her. In the heat of the moment he had thought that breaking up with her was the best thing for both of them, but after she had raced out the door, he had started having second thoughts. For the first time in months he had gone to sleep alone, and it wasn't a good feeling.

Mike hauled himself out of bed and walked over to the door, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake himself up. His eyes were burning from lack of sleep, but he somehow managed to make it to the door. He reached for the doorknob and then froze when the thought occurred to him that it could be Mel standing on the other side. After a moment of internal debate and worrying about how his hair looked, he opened the door.

Much to his disappointment, it wasn't Mel standing there. It was Roman Reigns in all his Samoan glory, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. It looked like he had rushed right over without even bothering to put different clothes on, and that immediately caught Mike's attention. "Roman?" he said, surprised to see him. He and Roman weren't exactly the best of friends. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you about Melly," Roman responded, his dark eyes locked on Mike's aqua ones. "It's urgent. Can I come in?"

The moment Roman mentioned "Melly" and "urgent" in the same sentence, he had Mike's full and unwavering attention. "Of course," he said, stepping aside and allowing Roman to enter the room.

Once inside, Roman wandered over to one of the tables that flanked both ends of the couch. He reached down and picked up a picture frame, examining the picture inside. Mike knew from heart that it was a picture of Melly that he had taken while they were at the beach one day, one of his favorites. She looked so happy in it, with the setting sun turning her brown hair to gold and her hazel eyes alight with warmth and affection. Her smile in that picture was the brightest he had ever seen it, and it had filled him with joy. That had been one of the best days of his life. He would give anything to see her smile like that for him one last time.

Mike suddenly felt uncomfortable with the fact that Roman was looking at that picture. It felt like he had just stumbled upon something private, something sacred. He walked over and plucked the picture from his hands, setting it back in its spot on the table. "So what's wrong with Melly?" he asked anxiously, a huge knot of worry in the pit of his stomach.

"What do you think is wrong with her?" Roman asked, turning his intense gaze on the Awesome One. "You dumped her. You broke her heart into little pieces right after you put it back together again. She's devastated. She showed up at my room looking for a place to stay because you kicked her out, and she broke down sobbing a few minutes later. She's still crying over you in there."

That stung Mike deep, but he didn't want Roman to see. The last thing he wanted to do was look weak in front of his nemesis. "She cheated on me," he mumbled, looking at the floor. "What was I supposed to do? It's happened to me before."

"She didn't cheat on you," Roman scowled. "She loved you, you idiot. It was just one kiss, and it was my fault. I came onto her. If you want to blame anyone for this, blame me. She never slept with me while she was with you. I saw the adoration in her eyes when she looked at you. For you to think that she would ever hurt you on purpose is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, and you need to get it together. You can't keep comparing her to Maryse, because she is nothing like her."

"I know that," Mike snapped, irritated that Roman was delving into his personal life. "That doesn't mean I deserve to get hurt, though."

"That doesn't mean that Melly deserves to get hurt, either," Roman pointed out. "She's just as torn up as you are about this. She loves you more than you could ever realize. She placed her trust in you, and you broke her heart. Give her one more chance."

Mike chewed the inside of his lip. Maybe he had been too harsh on Mel. She had never shown him anything but love, and he had tossed her away in an instant. It suddenly hit him that the way he had acted was deplorable. He had destroyed the heart of the girl he had promised to protect. She had every reason to be heartbroken. Hell, she had every reason to come here and punch him in the face.

Roman was still staring at him, waiting for his answer. Mike looked at that picture, and he instantly knew what he had to do.

* * *

Mel heard the sound of Roman's key card in the lock, but she didn't even turn to look. She was laying on her side, wrapped in a blanket and staring at the wall. All that she could think about was the fact that she had lost Mike.

"Melly?" Roman said from behind her, sounding concerned. "I have someone here who wants to speak to you."  
Mel squeezed her eyes shut, a pounding headache beginning to set in. She wasn't in the mood to hold a conversation. "I don't want to talk to anyone," she said dully, drawing the blanket tighter around her. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear.

"Melly."

Mel froze, her breath catching in her throat. She slowly sat up and turned around, tears filling her eyes when she saw Mike standing at the end of the bed, all of the memories rushing back. "What do you want?" she rasped, her voice hoarse from crying. "Haven't you hurt me enough already? Or did you just come here to rub it in?"

"No," Mike said softly. "I came here to say that I'm sorry. What I did is horrible, and I never meant to hurt you, even though I know I did. I wish I could take everything I said back, but I can't and I know that it cut you deep. You made a mistake and you apologized, and instead of accepting your apology, I started seeing you as I saw Maryse: a cheater. It was just one kiss, and I blew it way out of proportion. I'm so sorry. I want you back, but I know that our relationship might be broken beyond repair. Just say the word and I'll leave, and you'll never have to see me ever again."

Mel looked at him, a few stray tears trickling down her cheeks, and then she looked down at her hands which were clasped in her lap. She took a few deep, shuddering breaths, and then she got up off of the bed and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist without a word and just stood there clinging to him, her eyes tightly closed.

Mike understood her silent message loud and clear. He put his arms around her as well and just held her, feeling her tiny body tremble against his. He had hurt her pretty badly, but he knew that he could fix the damage he had caused. She was giving him a second chance, and that was a big leap in of itself.

Mike looked up at Roman, who stood leaning up against the wall with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were fixed on Mel at first, and then he slowly looked up at Mike. The two of them locked eyes, and then Roman gave a small nod.

Mike nodded back and then placed a kiss on the top of Mel's head. He wouldn't push her away again.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

It had been extremely difficult for Roman to just stand there and watch as Mel ran into a different man's arms. Watching her fold herself against Mike just as she had done to him not that long ago was tough, but he knew that it was his fault all of that had stopped. He hadn't been thinking straight when he had hopped into bed with Sasha Banks, but that was no excuse. It didn't help that he had snapped at her when she confronted him. She had had every right to leave him, and she had. The only person he had to blame for that was himself.

After Mel and Mike made up, they decided to head back to Mike's room. Mel gathered up her stuff and gave him a hug, making his heart beat a little bit faster. Mike didn't hug him of course, he just shook his hand. "Thank you," he said, looking genuinely grateful. Roman just nodded.

Once they had left, Roman ran a weary hand through his thick hair and went into the kitchen, retrieving a beer from the fridge. He rarely drank, but this seemed like one of those times when it was necessary. After popping the cap, he walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, then took a long swig. The alcohol tasted disgusting, but no one drank it for the taste anyway; they drank it to forget, and that was exactly what he was doing.

As he drank the beer, he started to wonder what the hell he had been thinking. It had been the perfect opportunity for him to win Mel back, to get her to trust him again, but instead he had gone to Mike and convinced him to give her a second chance. Instead of capitalizing on the opportunity, he had handed it to Mike on a silver platter. Roman took another gulp, wanting to kick himself.

When it came down to it, though, he had done it because he knew that it would make Mel happy. If he had convinced her to return to him, she would have been unhappy, he just knew it in the bottom of his heart. If she had been unhappy, he would have been unhappy, and their relationship would have been terrible. He wanted to be with her only if she wanted to be with him just as badly. She always would have been wondering where Mike was, and what Mike was doing. She loved Mike on an entirely different level than she loved him, and that was okay. He understood.

He supposed that it was for the best. You know, if you love something, let it go, and all that jazz. He couldn't force her to be with him. Perhaps he should move on as well.

Roman put the half-empty beer bottle down, perking up a little. Yeah, that was what he'd do. He'd start a whole new life. He suddenly felt very free, and excitement filled him.

Everything was going to be alright after all.

* * *

When Mike and Mel showed up at the arena later that day holding hands, Mel thought Maryse was going to have a heart attack. She stood frozen with the other Divas, a water bottle clutched in her hand. Her brown eyes flicked down to their clasped hands and then up to their faces, her gaze darkening with anger. When Rosa Mendes tapped her arm and asked her what was wrong, Maryse just ripped away from her and stormed off, chucking her water bottle at the trash can as she went by. Mel fought the overwhelming urge to smirk and went with Mike to his hotel room.

"Did you see Maryse's face?" she asked as soon as they were safely inside. "She must have thought that picture was going to tear us apart." She sat down on a bench and watched him get changed. He had a match that night against Fandango, which she was confident he would win, and he had to go work out the details with him.

"It almost did," Mike pointed out as he pulled his knee pads into place. He was extremely thankful to Roman for opening his eyes and getting him back together with Mel. It still surprised him that Roman had put aside his own feelings for Mel and had helped the two of them work out their problems. It had been very selfless of him, and Mike could see why Mel had fallen in love with him.

"The key word there is 'almost'," Mel murmured, scooting along the bench so she was sitting behind him. She looped her arms loosely around his neck from behind and placed a soft kiss on his tanned shoulder, then turned her head to the side so she was looking at him. When he turned his head to look at her too, she smiled warmly and kissed the tip of his nose. "We got through it, with help from Roman and because we love each other."

A little smile tugged at the corners of Mike's mouth, and he kissed her cheek. "I know. I never expected Roman to be the one to get us back together. That caught me totally by surprise."

"Ro's a good guy," Mel said a little wistfully, sitting up straight but keeping her arms around his neck. "He's always been like that. He sacrifices his own happiness in return for the happiness of the people he loves." She stopped talking suddenly, thinking about how much truth there was in that sentence.

"Yeah he is," Mike replied, lacing up his boots. "I feel bad for viewing him as an enemy for so long. I was just hostile because he was trying to take away the most important thing in my life, but he gave you back to me, and I'll forever be grateful to him for that."

Mel smiled and kissed him softly. "I will be too. Now go on. Your match is up."

Mike glanced at the clock that hung on the wall, his eyebrows shooting up. "Oh shit, you're right. I've gotta go." He hopped up and did a few quick stretches before hurrying toward the door, hoping he wouldn't be late.

"Wait, babe!" Mel called, getting up and walking over to him. She kissed him one last time before taking a step back and smiling warmly at him. "Good luck, I know you'll do great."

"I always do," Mike replied, giving her a cheeky grin.

Mel smiled and playfully pushed him away, and he kissed her forehead quickly before slipping out of the room, the door swinging shut. Mel turned and sat down on the bench again, looking at the monitor that hung on the wall, waiting for Mike to make his entrance.

The door opened again, and Mel turned with a bright smile on her face, thinking that Mike had forgotten something and returned to retrieve it.

A hard blow to the side of her head caught her by surprise, and she fell off of the bench and onto the cold floor, dazed. She started to pull herself up, but a vicious kick connected with her side, sending her sprawling on the floor again. Another kick slammed into her side, and she heard a cracking sound that she could only assume was her ribs. The pain that flared through her side seconds after confirmed that theory.

The merciless beating continued for about five more minutes, and when it finally ended Mel lay in a heap, every part of her body throbbing with pain. She could barely lift her head, and her vision was flickering. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, she saw a pair of designer heels walk by and right out the door.

Then the cold darkness pulled her under.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

Pain. That was the only thing Mel could feel when she woke up. It felt like she had been hit by a truck, and she would have screamed in agony if she could. The noises coming from the monitor let her know that she hadn't been out that long, because Mike was still in the middle of his match with Fandango. She tried to push herself up on her hands and knees, but she flopped back down onto the floor when her ribs screamed in protest. Tears trickled down her cheeks and landed on the tile floor as the horrifying thought hit her that no one would find her until after Mike's match.

Her hazel eyes found her bag, lying a few feet away. The contents had spilled out when the bag hit the floor, articles of clothing and makeup scattered in a two-foot radius around it. She spotted her iPhone lying only a little ways away, and she started to drag herself toward it, whimpering each time she got closer. Every time she pulled herself forward, excruciating pain would shoot through her back and ribs.

Her hand finally closed around her phone, and she choked out a sob as she pressed the power button, praying that it would still work. The screen lit up immediately, giving her a little relief, and she scrolled through the contacts until she found the one person who would be able to help her. She dialed the number and lay there, listening to it ring and hoping that he would pick up.

Just when she thought it would go to voicemail, there was a click, and then a gruff voice said, "Hello?"

"Roman." His name came out muffled because her teeth were clenched from the pain, and also because she was very weak. "Please...help…"

"Mel?" Roman sounded very alert now, and he could obviously tell that something was wrong. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

"I...I'm in Mikey's locker room…" she rasped, suddenly starting to get lightheaded. She struggled stay conscious, knowing that she had to tell Roman what had happened. "Maryse...attacked me...broke some ribs...I saw her shoes...please…" She started to cry then, her body shaking a little with the force of her sobs. "Please help me…"

There was a lot of rustling around on the other end of the line, and then Roman said, "Hang on Melly, okay? Hang on, I'm coming." He sounded frantic, and she heard a door open and shut loudly in the background, and then his pounding footsteps. "I need you to stay on the line with me, okay? Keep talking to me. I'm coming to get you right now."

Mel's eyelids started to droop despite how hard she was fighting to keep them open, and the darkness started edging in once again. "I can't…" she breathed into the phone, her fingers starting to loosen their hold on the device. "It hurts, Ro...it hurts so bad…"

"Melly, I need you to keep talking to me, okay? I'm on my way, I'm getting into my car right now."

Her head felt like it was being put under a lot of pressure, as if she were being held underwater. Her breathing was very shallow and everything was fuzzy. "I can't," she whispered, feeling herself being dragged under again. "I'm so tired, Ro...I just want to go to sleep…"

"No, Melly, you have to stay awake, okay?" Roman said anxiously. "You can't go to sleep, you might have a concussion. You need to stay awake. Just talk to me, okay?"

"I can't…" Mel breathed, sinking down into the dark depths of unconsciousness. The last thing she heard before she passed out again was Roman's voice begging her to stay awake. And then all there was was silence.

* * *

A loud, monotonous beeping yanked Mel out of the deep sleep she had been in, and she slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light that assaulted them. Once her eyes had adjusted, she realized that she was lying in a hospital bed, attached to an IV and a heart monitor, which was the source of the beeping. At first she was extremely confused, but then everything that had happened came trickling back. She tried to move and sucked in a sharp breath when her ribs ached. It didn't hurt as bad as before, but that was probably because of the bandages she felt wrapped tightly around her middle. Luckily, the fact that she had woken up told her that she hadn't had a concussion after all.

"Hey, you're awake."

The voice startled her, and she turned her head to see Roman sitting in the chair beside her bed. He smiled warmly at her when she looked at him, relief evident in his dark eyes. He looked like he had aged in a few hours; there were bags under his eyes, and his hair was falling out of the ponytail he had put it in. She found herself wondering if seeing her like this had taken such a toll on him. "Yes I am," she replied, smiling weakly back at him. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you found me."

Roman gave a little nod, and then he reached out and took her hand in his. She let him, noticing how it calmed him to hold onto her, as if it reinforced the fact that she was alive. "I was really scared," he admitted. "You were so still when I found you. I was afraid to pick you up because I didn't know if you had a spinal injury or not, but I knew that I couldn't just leave you there."

Mel patted his hand comfortingly to let him know that she understood. "Thank you for saving me."

Roman relaxed a little. "You're welcome."

Mel smiled again, and then she looked around the room, confused. "Where's Mikey?" She thought for sure that her boyfriend would have been at the hospital as well, waiting for her to wake up, but she didn't see him in the room. Unless he was outside in the waiting room, she assumed he wasn't there.

"He's not here," Roman responded, confirming her suspicions. "I called him when I was bringing you here and explained what happened, and he got really pissed off. He told me to watch over you until he arrived, and then he hung up. I'm not sure what he's doing, but he'll be here soon."

Mel nodded, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She couldn't think of anywhere Mike would rather go than to see her, but she was sure he had his reasons. He always did.

* * *

Mike barged into Maryse's hotel room without bothering to knock, anger coursing through his veins. As soon as Roman had called him and told him that Maryse attacked Mel, he had turned right around and headed for Maryse's room. He had always known she was a bitch, but he had never expected her to stoop this low. She had put Mel in the hospital for God's sake. This little jealous retaliation of hers needed to stop, and it needed to stop now.

Maryse looked up from where she was making a salad in the kitchen, wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. She had already washed all of her makeup off, and her long hair was twisted into a bun on top of her head. She looked startled and then pleased to see him. "Mike! What brings you-"

"Why the fuck did you attack Mel?!" Mike snarled, cutting her off. He stormed into the room and slammed his hands down on the countertop in front of her, causing her to jump. He glared at her viciously, his aqua eyes boring twin holes into her as he waited for her response.

Maryse's expression changed from shocked to confused to angry. "What the hell are you talking about?" she snapped, putting down the bottle of dressing she had been about to pour on her salad. "I haven't left the room since my match ended."

Mike let out an exasperated growl and threw his hands up in the air. "For once in your life, can't you just tell the truth?" he shouted at her, his frustration levels skyrocketing. He wanted to grab her and shake her, but unfortunately he couldn't.

"I am telling the truth!" Maryse exclaimed, looking just as irritated with him as he was with her. "I never touched your precious Mel! I finished my match, changed into my street clothes, came back here, and made a salad!"

Mike ran a hand through his hair. Maryse seemed genuine, but you could never tell with her. "Why did Mel mention something about your shoes, then?" he demanded. "You know, those ones you always wear. The designer heels."

Maryse blinked. "You mean my Jimmy Choos? I didn't wear those today. They're sitting in my suitcase." She walked over to her Louis Vitton suitcase and unzipped it, peering inside. "What the hell…?"

"What?" Mike walked over as well.

"They're gone," Maryse said, extremely confused. "I put them right here in my suitcase, and now they're gone. Someone stole them. Those heels cost $1,100 dollars!"

Mike's mind was racing with this new information. If Maryse really hadn't left her hotel room, then that meant someone had taken her shoes, put them on, and attacked Mel, effectively setting Maryse up. "Maryse, do you have any enemies?" he asked, and then upon realizing that that was a dumb question, he added, "Ones who would want to frame you for something like this?"

"I have a lot of enemies, Mike," the French-Canadian woman responded, looking at him as if he were an imbecile. "I can't think of any who would want to frame me for attacking that little girl, though. If I had wanted to attack her, I would have done it myself, and certainly not wearing my Jimmy Choos. I don't want blood on them."

Mike gritted his teeth at that, but he believed her now. That was such a typical Maryse thing to say that he knew she wasn't lying. She really hadn't been the one who had attacked Mel. "Well, who has a key to your room?" he asked, wondering if Maryse had a new boyfriend.

"No one," Maryse scoffed, slamming her suitcase shut and walking back over to her salad, then wrinkling her nose when she saw the lettuce had wilted. "I'm not an idiot. I don't just give out copies of my room key," she said as she started to prepare a fresh one. She was in the process of shaking fresh lettuce into the bowl when she froze and looked up at Mike. "Well...actually…"

She had his full attention immediately. "What? What is it? Was it really you?"

"No!" Maryse snapped, shooting daggers at him from her brown eyes. "I told you it wasn't me! But I just remembered that I did give my room key to one other person."

"Who?" Mike demanded. He wanted to storm the room of whoever had done this to Mel and beat the hell out of them just as badly as they had her.

Maryse threw the bag of lettuce down onto the counter, looking just as pissed as him all of a sudden. "Stephanie McMahon. She gave me a script for the feud Mel and I are having, and earlier today she told me that she needed it back because the writers made some mistakes that needed to be corrected. So I gave her my room key and told her where it was, and she was gone for about fifteen minutes before she came back and gave the key back to me. She probably snatched my shoes while she was in here, that bitch."

Mike's hands curled into fists by his sides, and he could feel overwhelming rage sweep over him. It always came back to Stephanie. She was always the cause of their problems, always the reason Mel got hurt. Well, she had gone too far this time. He spun on his heel and headed for the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Maryse called after him.

"To put an end to all of this bullshit," he spat before striding out of the room and slamming the door behind him.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53**

Mike pounded on the door to Stephanie's room so hard it rattled against the doorjamb. He was extremely pissed off, and he wasn't going to leave until he got answers. He wanted to know why Stephanie insisted on inserting herself into their lives and hurting Mel. When there was no response, he hit the door harder, five seconds away from just breaking the door down.

The door finally swung open, and Mike came face-to-face with the COO himself. Hunter looked like he had hauled himself out of bed to answer the door, and irritation was written plainly across his face. He was wearing a black tank top and a pair of gray sweatpants that looked wrinkled, indicating he had probably just grabbed them and thrown them on. He frowned when he saw Mike standing there, obviously wondering why he was pounding on his door this late at night. "What do you want, Mizanin?"

"I need to talk to your wife," Mike demanded, knowing how odd it sounded but beyond the point of caring.

Hunter's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why do you need to talk to her?" he asked gruffly, leaning in the doorway and crossing his huge arms over his broad chest. He filled the doorway almost completely, and Mike knew there was no way he could force his way inside.

"I'm not going to tell you, because it's none of your business," he said coolly, refusing to be intimidated by the huge man. "This is between Stephanie and I."

Hunter didn't seem pleased by his answer. "She's sleeping," he responded, his tone of voice letting Mike know that he was just saying that to spite him.

"Just get her for me," Mike snapped, losing his patience. "I'm not leaving here until I talk to her. I'll sit out here all night if I have to. She has to come out at some point."

Hunter clenched his jaw; he hated it when people talked back to him and didn't respect his authority. He must have seen the determination in Mike's eyes though, because he heaved a sigh and growled, "Wait here." Then he slammed the door shut.

Mike gritted his teeth and waited, knowing that he had no choice. There was the very real possibility that Hunter had lied, and he had just gone back to bed, leaving him to stand out there. He had been serious about waiting for as long as it took though; it wasn't going to be easy to get rid of him.

After ten minutes of just standing in the hotel hallway, he came to the conclusion that Hunter wasn't going to come back. He took a seat on the floor, guilt starting to creep in. Mel had been at the hospital for about four hours now, and he wasn't there with her. He had wanted to be there when she woke up, but this was something that he had to do first. If something wasn't done, then this would be a never-ending cycle, culminating with Mel winding up dead, and if that ever happened then he would have to die too.

Mike dug his phone out of his pocket and perked up when he saw that he had one new message from Roman.

**Mel's awake. Asking for you. When are you going to get here? -Ro**

Mike sighed a little, feeling like a terrible boyfriend. Maybe going after Stephanie first wasn't the best idea. It didn't help that Roman was there and he wasn't. After taking a moment to think, he typed out a reply: **Tell her I'll be there soon. Take care of her. -M **

After he pressed the send button, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, blowing out a puff of air. He really hoped Mel wouldn't hate him for not showing up quite yet. He wanted to go and see her, but he had to do this. Hopefully she would understand.

The door swung open suddenly, and Mike's head snapped up. Stephanie stood there with her hands on her hips, looking perfectly manicured as always. She didn't look pleased to see him, and she let him know by giving him a venomous glare. "What do you want, Mizanin? You have a lot of balls showing up here at this hour."  
Mike jumped to his feet, fresh rage coursing through his veins at the sight of her. "Why did you attack Mel?" he demanded, stomping up to her and staring her in the eye.

Stephanie's lip curled up into a bemused smirk. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She was clearly lying, and that only infuriated him even more.

"You took Maryse's heels and attacked her in my locker room," he growled.

"No I didn't."

Mike punched the wall next to her, causing her to jump and her cool facade to drop for a second. "Just stay away from her," he snarled. "Or it won't be pretty. And yes, that was a threat." He whipped around and stormed off, ignoring her eyes burning into his back. He was probably going to be severely punished for that, but he didn't care.

* * *

Mike poked his head into Mel's room, his heartbeat amping up a bit when he saw her lying motionless in the hospital bed. She was connected to all of these machines, and it looked really bad. He knew the doctors had said that she only had a few cracked ribs and that she didn't even have a concussion, but it didn't stop him from being scared. If something horrible had happened to her, he didn't know what he would have done. He already felt partly responsible because he hadn't been there with her. If he had just stayed in his room for a few more seconds…

Roman looked up from the chair he was sitting in and gave him a little nod in greeting. He waved him closer, and Mike slowly stepped into the room, his aqua eyes still fixed on Mel. She was asleep, and her face looked almost peaceful, which made him feel a little better. At least she wasn't in any pain.

"She fell back asleep a little bit ago," Roman informed him, looking at Mel's sleeping form with tender eyes. "I told her you'd be here soon, and it seemed to give her some comfort. She really missed you."

Mike tried to swallow past the lump in his throat and failed. He just gave Roman a little nod, feeling so shitty. It was his fault that she was laying there. He might as well have been the one who beat her and left her lying on the cold floor.

Roman must have noticed the look on his face, because he said, "Mike, listen to me. It was not your fault. Do you understand?"

Mike sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Yes. Thanks for watching over her, Roman."

Roman stood up and stretched, then patted him on the back. "No problem Mike. Take care of yourself, okay?" He gave him a kind smile and then left the room.

Mel stirred right when he sat down, and he gave her a warm smile as soon as her hazel eyes opened. Her entire face lit up at the sight of him, and she rasped, "Mikey!"

"Hey baby," he said softly, taking her hand and leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "How are you feeling, hm?"  
"Better now that you're here," Mel said happily, clinging to his hand. She had thought he would never arrive. She liked having Roman here because he made her feel safe, but she felt much calmer now that Mike was by her side. She suddenly remembered who had attacked her, and her heart sank a little. Even though Mike and Maryse were now divorced, he had to have loved her at one point in time, because they had been married. "Mikey...I don't want to tell you this...but Maryse was the one who attacked me…"

Mike shook his head and kissed her knuckles, making her frown in confusion and unhappiness. She had expected him to be upset, but she didn't think he wouldn't believe her. It hurt her feelings, and she yanked her hand away from him. "I'm not lying!"

Mike blinked at her in surprise. "I know you aren't, baby," he said honestly. "But it wasn't Maryse who attacked you. Roman told me about what happened, so I went to confront Maryse, but it turned out that she had gone straight home right after her match, and her heels were missing from her suitcase."

Mel's eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment. "So...it wasn't her? Someone took her shoes to make me think it was her?"

Mike nodded. "Precisely."

Mel chewed her lower lip, trying to digest this new information. "So who really attacked me?"

"Stephanie," Mike said, her name coming out as a growl. "I went to confront her and told her to leave you alone. That's what took me so long."

Mel growled deep in her throat. She was so sick of Stephanie McMahon. She had to be stopped, once and for all. She thought back to the plan she had made with AJ and Paige, and she gave Mike's hand a squeeze. "Baby, I have an idea…"


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

Mel slowly opened her eyes and sat up in her hospital bed. She rubbed her eyes so she could get the sleep out of them and blinked. She must've been asleep for a while because when she had gone to bed, Mike had been there, and now he was gone.

He had left a note for her, however.

_Baby,_

_Went to go and get some real food for you. Be back soon. _

_Love you._

_-Mike-_

Mel smiled. Mike was always so thoughtful and sweet. He had taken such good care of her ever since she and Roman had fallen apart, and she was very thankful for him. He always managed to brighten her mood, even on the darkest of days.

As she waited patiently for her boyfriend to return, she decided to play some Candy Crush. The game was her addiction, and it always helped time pass.

When Mike hadn't returned within the next hour, Mel began to get slightly worried. She decided to call him; he would always answer his phone when she called, no matter what she was doing.

When his phone went to voicemail after ringing for a while, Mel became even more worried. It wasn't like Mike to not pick up the phone. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't answer.

After calling eight times, Mel knew that something was wrong, and the anxious feeling in her stomach confirmed it.

Another half an hour went by, and Mel started to feel sick to her stomach. Something wasn't right. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

Mel's mind began to race. She had to call him, she had to try again. She had to hear his voice. But once again, all she got was his voicemail.

"_Hey, it's Mike. I can't come to the phone right now, but leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks."_

Mel looked at the clock on the wall, and it let her know that it was 6pm. If she turned on the news, it should give her a better idea of why her boyfriend had yet to return. Maybe the power was out, and he was stuck in traffic.

Grabbing the remote, Mel hit the power button, causing the TV to turn on. As soon as the image of what was on the TV had become clear to her, Mel could feel her heart drop into her stomach.

The words **Fatal Car Crash** were in bright bold letters across the bottom of the screen, and as Mel looked at the TV, her heart began to race and her palms began to sweat. Mike's car was one of the cars in the picture that she was staring at. Not only was it one of the cars, but it was the one that was the most destroyed.

"No, no, no…" Mel said to herself. This _couldn't _be real. This _had _to be a dream. That was _not _her boyfriend's car she was looking at. It wasn't. That wasn't possible.

As she listened to the news, which she could barely focus on, she began to cry. If that was truly his car, she would never see him again. She would never be able to hear his voice again. He would never be able to make her smile or laugh. She would never be to feel his lips touch her skin again, causing her to those butterflies in her stomach that she loved so much.

Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as the reality of what was happening hit her like a slap across the face. This was real, this was happening. That was Mike's car, and she wasn't ever going to see him again.

Her quiet cry quickly turned into loud sobs as she started to gasp for air. Her chest got such a tight feeling in it, and she began to feel like she was being crushed in a vice. It was then that she realized that she was in the process of having a panic attack.

She heard her door open, and in that moment she felt her hopes rise. Maybe it wasn't Mike's car after all.

Her heart dropped into her stomach when she saw Roman standing before her. Even though she was happy to see her soon-to-be ex-husband, she would've given anything to have Mike walk through that door. "Melly…." Roman said slowly. But by the look on her face, he knew that Mel had already seen the news.

"R-Ro…" Mel stammered, clutching the blankets tightly in her fists. She looked into his dark eyes, unable to get any more words out, begging him from the bottom of her heart to tell her that it was all okay, that Mike was fine. That this was all just one big nightmare, and she'd wake up if she just closed her eyes and tried really, really hard.

Roman just looked at her, a tormented look on his face, and slowly, slowly shook his head.

Something inside Mel snapped. She curled into a ball and started to sob, her entire body shaking with the force of her cries. It felt like her heart was shattering to thousands of little pieces. Every time it seemed like she could actually be happy, life threw a curveball and demolished her plans. Just when she thought she could move on with Mike and maybe even start a family, she was flung head-first into more heartbreak.

Roman sat down beside her and lightly rested a hand on her heaving back, and she shifted so she was leaning against him, clutching his shirt as she wailed. Roman wrapped his arms around her and just held her as she fell apart.

* * *

A few days after Mike's death, Mel was released from the hospital. She didn't show any signs of happiness or relief to be leaving; she just sat with a blank expression on her face, staring off into the distance. Roman was worried that she may be sinking into a depression, but the doctors had assured him that it was a natural behavior for a grieving individual. They told him to just take her home and make her as comfortable as possible.

"Come on Melly, I'm taking you home," Roman said, holding the passenger door of his truck open. "Vince heard about...what happened, so he gave you some time off to heal."

Mel just climbed up into the passenger seat without saying a word, pulling the seatbelt over and slamming it into the buckle. Roman felt a ripple of sadness run through his body. The happy, giggly, bubbly Melly that he knew and loved was gone, having retreated into this shell of grief and numbness. He understood completely, but it still made his heart ache.

Roman closed the truck door and went around to the other side, then hopped in. He started the truck and pulled onto the highway, heading for Pensacola, Florida. As he drove, he noticed Mel looking at the passing cars with dark, tormented eyes, and he realized she was thinking back to the mangled wreck of Mike's car the night he was killed. He swallowed hard and forced himself to keep his eyes on the road, knowing that if he kept looking at her he would burst into tears.

The police had said the crash had been the result of Mike's brakes failing to work. Apparently the car he had struck had whipped out in front of him, and the brakes had failed when he stomped on them. Since they had been on the highway, he had been going sixty miles per hour, and he had slammed into the other car full force, causing him to be killed on impact. Miraculously the other driver had survived, probably because he had been drunk at the time. Funny how that seemed to work.

Another thing the cops had said that Roman hadn't told Mel was that they suspected foul play. The brake lines in Mike's car had been cut cleanly, causing his brakes to fail. This wasn't an accident, this was murder.

Roman shuddered at the mere thought of that. He had known a lot of bad people in his lifetime, but he had never expected any of them to go as far as to kill a good man, effectively taking him away from his friends, family, and the one person who needed him the most, his girlfriend. Whoever had done this deserved to rot in a jail cell for the rest of their miserable life, and then in hell.

It was pretty late when they pulled into the driveway of Roman's home, the one he used to share with Mel when they were still married. Luckily most of her stuff was still here, so she had plenty of clothes to wear. He helped her out of the truck, and once again she refused to speak, instead going right inside the house.

When Roman entered the bedroom after bringing the bags inside, he found her curled up on her side of the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest and with her eyes tightly closed. He decided not to say anything; it was clear that she didn't want to be spoken to at the moment. Instead he put on a pair of comfy sweatpants and climbed into his side. He drifted off to sleep, but not before seeing a single tear slide down her cheek.

* * *

Roman couldn't sit still for the duration of the signing he had the next morning. He kept thinking about Mel, and worrying if she was okay or not. She still wouldn't speak to him, and her face had remained stoic when he told her he had a signing he had to go to. He felt terrible for leaving her there alone, but Vince would have his ass on a stick if he missed the signing. So he forced himself to smile for pictures and make small talk with fans, all the while wondering if Mel was undergoing a massive mental breakdown at home.

When the last fan finally left the table, Roman sprang to his feet and shoved his things in his bag, yanking it shut so fast that he broke the zipper. He was beyond caring, however, and he shrugged the strap onto his shoulder and bolted for the door, feeling an overwhelming urge to get home immediately.

The house was silent when he unlocked the front door and went inside, and an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He dropped his bag on the floor with a loud thump and called, "Melly?" When he didn't get a response, he walked forward, entering the living room.

The entire room was trashed. Pictures that had once hung on the wall now lay on the floor amid broken frames and shattered glass; the couch had been overturned, and one of the leather chairs had a huge tear down the front, as if someone had taken something sharp to it; books had been yanked off of the shelves and flung around the room; and multiple empty beer bottles lay scattered in a rough circle around Mel, who sat on the floor in the midst of it all.

Roman took a step forward and crouched down in front of Mel, who was chugging another beer. "Mel, how many of those have you had?" he asked, his voice a little shaky. He had not expected to come home to this.

Mel didn't respond. She didn't even look at him. She just kept drinking.

Roman reached out and took the bottle from her fingers, and she just allowed him to take it. She kept her hazel eyes fixed on the wall, unmoving.

"Mel, why did you do this?" he said quietly, shifting so that she had to look at him. "Why did you destroy everything? I know what happened to Mike is really hard, but you can't express your feelings like this."

Mel's bottom lip trembled a little at the mention of Mike, but she still didn't speak.

"Please talk to me," Roman pleaded. "Please. Tell me what you're feeling so I can help you."

When she still didn't say anything, Roman looked around the room and spotted her phone lying a few feet away. When he picked it up he noticed that she had been looking at the text messages she had exchanged with Mike. He felt so incredibly sad for her when he saw how loving and cute they were. She had loved him so much, and he had been ripped away from her so quickly.

An impulse seized him suddenly, and he tapped on the voicemail icon. There was one logged from Mike a few weeks ago, and he pressed play and held it up to his ear to listen.

When he had finished listening to the voicemail, Roman suddenly knew what he had to do. He walked over to Mel and sat down beside her, then pressed play on the voicemail and held it up to her ear so that she could listen.

"_Hey, baby. You weren't awake when I got up to go to the gym, so I thought I'd leave you this to wake up to. I know it's not the same as seeing my handsome face in the morning, but it should hold you over until I get back. *laughs* You look so peaceful when you're asleep, like nothing in the world can ever hurt you, and just know that it can't as long as I'm around. I'll always be there to protect you, whether you know I am or not. I just want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world, and no matter what happens, I'll always be with you. You'll never be able to be rid of me. *laughs again* Okay, well, I'll see you in a little bit. Bye babe, I love you."_

Roman slowly lowered the phone once the voicemail had ended, studying Mel's reaction. At first she remained expressionless, but then her stoic facade finally cracked, and tears started to pour down her cheeks. A broken sob escaped her, and then she was full-blown crying, hugging herself tightly as she rocked back and forth.

Roman reached out after a moment and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair while she sobbed. Through the cries, he finally heard her speak for the first time in days:

"I miss him…"


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

Mel stood motionless outside the church, gazing up at the intimidating structure. Around her, a flood of people dressed in black drifted by, heading through the huge double doors, going to see their friend or relative for the last time. In her case, she had arrived to gaze upon the face of the man she had loved one last time.

"Hey."

Mel turned slowly to see Roman standing beside her, wearing a black button-up shirt and black pants. His hair was smooth and pulled back into a neat ponytail, and for the first time since everything had happened she saw a hint of grief in his dark eyes. He and Mike hadn't been the best of friends, but the Samoan man had harbored a deep respect for Mike because of the way he had taken care of Melly. It suddenly struck her that Roman would miss him too.

Mel looked down at her feet, encased in a pair of black flats. "Hi," she said, her voice very soft, as if she didn't want to talk too loud at a church. In reality she was still finding it hard to talk to people, simply because the one person she had always been able to talk to was gone forever. Just thinking about it made her eyes swell with fresh tears, and she hadn't even gone inside yet.

Roman could feel the grief and sorrow coming off of her in waves, and he reached out and laid a gentle hand on her back. "How are you holding up?" he asked her kindly. He didn't want to push her too hard; ever since she had broken down after hearing the voicemail yesterday, she had been speaking to him more and more. She seemed much more shy and reserved in a public setting like this however, and he didn't want to scare her and make her retreat into herself again.

"I'm okay," Mel whispered, relaxing a little at his touch. "I just...what if I see his face, and I break down again…?"

"Go ahead and break down, Melly," Roman told her soothingly. "This is an extremely sad event, there are going to be other people crying. You were the closest person to him, other than maybe his mother and father. If you have to cry, don't be ashamed. It's natural."

The anxiety that was swarming inside of her like hundreds of bees was calmed by his reassuring words, and she gave a little nod. She was about to say that they could go inside when a familiar voice behind her called, "Melly!"

Mel spun around to see AJ running toward her, her long dark hair streaming out behind her. She threw her thin arms around Mel's waist and gave her a bone-crushing hug, and Mel hugged her back immediately, struggling to hold back tears once again. She hadn't seen her best friend in quite awhile, and she had missed her dearly.

"I'm so sorry, Melly. I'm so, so sorry," AJ exclaimed, pulling back from the hug to look into her friend's eyes, her own full of unshed tears. "We came as soon as we heard." She looked even smaller than usual in her black blouse and black pants, her hair draped over one shoulder.

"We?" Mel asked, and then she looked over AJ's head and spotted Punk walking toward them, his hands shoved into his pockets. To her surprise, he was actually dressed formally, in a black suit and tie. His hair was as messy as ever, and he looked just as Wolverine-like as he usually did.

Punk gave her a small smile when he noticed her staring at him. "Hey Melly. I'm really sorry to hear about Mike. He...he was a good friend of mine." He swallowed hard and ran his fingers through his hair, and Mel felt her heart ache for him. He and Mike had been really close, despite the rumors that they hated each other in real life. In truth, the two of them had been partners in crime, finding a common enemy in the powers-that-be.

Mel untangled herself from AJ and gave Punk a hug as well. "You were a great friend to him. Thank you," she whispered into his chest. Punk gave her a quick hug back before letting go and taking AJ's hand. His green eyes looked a bit shinier than usual, but Mel knew better than to comment.

She suddenly realized that everyone had already filed into the church, and she looked at Roman, suddenly feeling very frightened. She wasn't ready for this. If she walked into that church and saw Mike laying in that casket, it would suddenly make his death real and final. She wasn't sure if she could do that.

Roman could see the fear written all over her face, and he gave her a comforting smile and took her hand. "Come on," he murmured. "You can do this."

Mel took a deep breath and gave a little nod, and then she entered the church with Roman, AJ and Punk on their heels.

The church was packed. Mel spotted Eve sitting in the middle of a row, her face in her hands, and felt a stab of guilt. Mike had ended things with Eve to be with her. Eve had to blame her for what had happened. Maryse was also there, leaning against a wall in the back of the church, a pair of expensive sunglasses covering her eyes. They did nothing to hide the tears rolling silently down her pale cheeks, however.

There was room in the front pew, so Roman and Mel headed there while AJ and Punk took seats in the back. They sat down next to Mike's family, and Mel felt a stab of fresh pain when she saw his mother crying quietly into a handkerchief.

The priest conducted the ceremony, and then once he was finished he invited anyone to come up and speak about Mike. No one moved at first, and then Mel felt this pull in her stomach, and she suddenly knew that this was something that she had to do, for Mike.

Mel slowly stood up, and everyone in the church turned to look at her. Her legs felt shaky and her heart was racing, and she felt like she was going to throw up. She was about to sit back down when a hand slipped into hers, and she looked up into Roman's warm eyes. He gave her a reassuring nod, and she took a deep breath and walked up to the podium, clutching Roman's hand.

Mel clutched the sides of the podium, her entire body trembling. Everyone's eyes were on her, and she suddenly felt very self-conscious. She was about to turn right back around when Mike's face popped into her mind, and her mouth opened of its own accord. "Mike was more to me than just someone I knew. He was my friend...the man I loved...he put me back together after I was broken...he…" Mel's voice broke, and the tears started to pour down her cheeks. She suddenly knew that she couldn't do this, couldn't continue to try and describe what Mike meant to her to all of these people. Roman gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and that gave her enough strength to finish speaking. "I loved him so much...and I'll never forget him…not ever..."

She turned away from the podium, clinging to Roman's hand. He helped her back over to the pew and they sat back down, and Mel just sat there and stared at the casket as the ceremony concluded.

* * *

A few weeks after Mike had been laid to rest, Mel still wasn't back to her old self. She often sat in silence for long periods of time, and would sometimes just pick at her food. Roman knew that it was going to take time, but he was starting to fear that Mel would never return to normal.

A knock sounded on the front door one afternoon, and Roman got up from the couch and went to answer it. Much to his surprise, AJ and Punk stood on the other side. "Hey guys. What are you doing here?"

"We thought we'd ask if you two wanted to come bowling with us!" AJ chirped, beaming up at him. "Melly needs to get out of the house and have some fun, get her mind off of things."

Roman nodded slowly in agreement. It was a good idea. Melly loved bowling, so he was sure she'd be more than glad to go. "I'll go ask here. Wait right here." He shut the door and went into the bedroom, where Mel was curled up on the bed, reading a book. "Hey Melly? AJ and Punk are here, and they wanted to know if we would go bowling with them."

Mel's head snapped up at the sound of the word 'bowling', and for the first time in a long time he saw her eyes light up. "Yes," she said, sounding excited. "I would love to go."

Roman grinned brightly. "Great! Let's go!"

When they got to the bowling alley, they all rented shoes and chose the balls they wanted to use from the racks lining the walls. Punk entered their names into the machine, and AJ started the game off.

They played for about two hours, laughing and joking around. At one point, AJ hopped on Punk's back when it was his turn to try and mess him up because he was winning, but he ended up throwing a strike instead. "My little good luck charm," he joked, giving her a kiss. "Emphasis on 'little'."

Mel was having more fun than she had ever had in those past few weeks, and Roman was extremely happy to see it. She was giggling and whispering with AJ, and it seemed like she may actually be back to her old self. It had been so long since he'd seen her smile.

By the time the two games they had played ended, Punk had one win under his belt and Mel had one as well. She had come back in the second one to beat Roman, and had playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

After they returned their shoes to the counter, Mel hugged AJ and Roman and Punk exchanged smiles. It had been a fun evening, and Roman would be eternally grateful to the two of them for giving his Melly back to him.

When they got back home, Mel still seemed pretty happy; she kept talking about how much fun it had been and how much she had missed hanging out with them. Roman decided to take a risk, and he sat her on the couch and said, "Wait here, okay? I have something to show you." He went into the bedroom and came back out with an unmarked DVD, which he then popped into the DVD player.

Mel looked at him curiously. "Ro? What is it?"

"Just watch, okay?" Roman pressed the play button and then stepped away from the TV, studying her face closely and hoping that she wouldn't react the wrong way.

A soft gasp escaped Mel's lips as Mike popped up on the screen. It was video footage of the promo they had done together awhile back, when they had been in a storyline. The sound of Mike's voice nearly brought her to tears, and she covered her mouth with her hand and watched as he cut that familiar promo. She was hanging off of his arm and gazing at him with the deepest love in her eyes, and then the scene suddenly changed to a mixed-tag match they had had together against Dolph and Summer. Mel got the pin and won them the match, and Mike picked her up and spun her around before pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. Mel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, clearly getting into it.

Tears were streaming down Mel's cheeks now, but she found that she didn't hurt inside quite as much. She wiped them away and kept her eyes fixed on the screen, watching as the scene switched to a more personal video, one that she had taken on her cell phone when they were at the beach. Mike was walking backwards while cracking jokes, making her giggle and causing the video to shake slightly from the force of her laughter. At one point he started singing, and he was so terrible that Mel laughed even harder. He flashed the sweetest grin she had ever seen and pulled her into his arms, kissing her and taking her breath away. The phone suddenly started recording the sand because she had dropped it to fling her arms around his neck.

Now it was footage of Mike fast asleep, sprawled on his back with his arms flung out to the sides. Mel felt a little hitch in her breathing as she recalled filming him because he had looked so peaceful. His hair was a mess and the sheets were tangled around him, but he looked so at ease and so tranquil that she had just had to film him. She remembered trying to memorize every line of his face because he was so beautiful.

All of these memories came flooding back, and she couldn't stop the tears. They flowed freely down her face, but they weren't tears of pain or grief. They were tears of happiness, happiness because she could still see his face and hear his voice, even now that he was gone forever. She clasped her hands tightly together and watched the rest of the videos, each one making more tears fall.

The video ended with the voicemail he had left her, the one she had listened to a couple of weeks ago. She closed her eyes and listened again as his voice issued forth from the TV.

"_Hey, baby. You weren't awake when I got up to go to the gym, so I thought I'd leave you this to wake up to. I know it's not the same as seeing my handsome face in the morning, but it should hold you over until I get back. *laughs* You look so peaceful when you're asleep, like nothing in the world can ever hurt you, and just know that it can't as long as I'm around. I'll always be there to protect you, whether you know I am or not. I just want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world, and no matter what happens, I'll always be with you. You'll never be able to be rid of me. *laughs again* Okay, well, I'll see you in a little bit. Bye babe, I love you."_

When the screen returned to the DVD menu, Roman ejected the DVD and crouched down in front of Mel. He gently pressed it into her hand, gazing up at her with soft eyes. "I made this so you'd always have him with you, even if you can't physically be with him. I want you to have it."

Mel looked down at the DVD, feeling a peace that she had been yearning for for so long finally settle over her. She caressed the surface of it, incredibly grateful for this gift he had given her. "I want to go and see him," she whispered, knowing deep down that this was something she had to do. "Will you take me?"

Roman gazed at her. He knew what a big step this was for her. He was the one she had asked to do this with her, not AJ or Punk. She wanted him to go with her, to support her. "Yes, of course," he murmured. "Let's go."

* * *

The sun was setting when they arrived at the cemetery, the dying rays glinting off of the marble faces of the headstones. Roman helped Melly out of his truck, and then he walked among the rows with her, holding her hand to give her comfort. Her hazel eyes darted to each headstone, reading the name inscribed there before skipping to the next one, searching for one person in particular.

They had been walking for awhile when she stopped suddenly, and whispered, "Here."

Before them sat a white marble headstone, shiny and new. Written on the surface were the words 'Michael Gregory Mizanin, 10/8/1980-8/30/2014'.

Roman slowly let go of Mel's hand, knowing that she needed a moment to herself. He gave her a knowing look and then wandered off a little ways, giving her some privacy.

Mel gazed down at the headstone for a couple more seconds, and then she slowly sank to her knees. She reached out a trembling hand and traced the letters of his name, her bottom lip trembling a little, and then she leaned forward and kissed it softly. "Hey baby," she whispered into the quiet evening air, her breath fogging up the marble. "It's been a rough few weeks without you. Every morning when I wake up, I keep expecting to feel you next to me, and to see your beautiful face. You always looked so peaceful when you were asleep."

She paused for a moment to gather herself, looking over at where Roman stood a few feet away, his back to her as he read a weather-worn headstone. "I want you to know that I'm sorry," she continued, looking back at Mike's grave. "I'm sorry for anything I've ever said that might have hurt you in any way. I loved you more than anything in this world, Mikey, and I still do love you. I always will, no matter what. I will never forget how you put me back together, and how you were always there for me. I will always remember what we had, and the moments we shared together. Roman made me a DVD so I can watch them whenever I want, and I think that will help. You were my savior, Mikey. You always were. Even though I can't physically see you, I can still feel you. I know you're watching over me, just like you did when you were alive. You don't have to worry about me anymore, okay? I'll be alright. You've taught me to be strong, and to always keep fighting. I promise to do that for you." Mel kissed his name again, keeping her lips pressed to the cool stone for a long time before sitting back again. "I love you, baby. Rest easy, okay? We'll meet again some day. I know we will."

Mel slowly got to her feet after a moment, feeling finally at peace. She looked at Mike's headstone one last time before turning around and walking back to the truck, somehow knowing that everything was going to be okay now.

Roman saw Mel walk away from the headstone, and he was about to follow her when something made him change directions and walk over to Mike's grave instead. He gazed down at the marble stone, and then he reached out and gently touched it with the tips of his fingers. "Don't worry, brother," he said softly, feeling like Mike could actually hear him. "I'll take care of her. I won't let anything hurt her. This is my vow to you. Rest in peace, my friend."

He removed his hand from the stone, closing his eyes for a moment as tranquility overtook him. He had made his peace, and he intended to keep the vow he had just made.

Opening his eyes, Roman turned and walked after Mel.


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

**FOUR MONTHS LATER**

Mel opened the door to Mike's locker room, sucking in a breath when she stepped inside. Even though she hadn't set foot in here in four months, it still looked exactly the same as it did the last time she was in here. Just being here was bringing back memories, ones that she didn't want to dwell on. She had made her peace at the cemetery and had finally been able to release all of the pain she had held deep inside, but that didn't mean she was completely over Mike. She would probably never be over him.

She set down the box she had been given by Vince and slowly walked over to his locker. She opened it and felt a wave of nostalgia slam into her when she saw his gear folded neatly in the center, next to his ring boots and other little trinkets that he kept there for safe-keeping. She swallowed hard before picking up his boots and placing them in the box.

Roman had offered to come with her so she wouldn't have to clean out Mike's locker alone, but she had kindly told him no. This was something she had to do by herself, for closure.

While she was clearing out Mike's locker, something in the back corner caught her eye. Frowning, she reached a hand in, and her fingers closed around something cold and metal. She pulled her hand out and opened it, and her eyes widened at the sight of a raindrop-shaped diamond necklace laying on her palm. The diamond glittered dully under the fluorescent lights, and a delicate silver chain dangled from it. Mel's breath caught in her throat; it was a beautiful necklace, one that she had never seen before.

The necklace had been sitting on a folded up piece of paper, and she put the necklace in her pocket before picking it up and unfolding it. Her heart began to beat faster when she noticed Mike's unruly handwriting.

_Mel,_

_You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and so it seemed only fitting that I give you the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen. There's no special occasion, I just love to see your beautiful smile. I love you._

_-Mike-_

Mel's eyes filled with tears, and she didn't even bother and try to stop them from falling. She scooped the necklace out of her pocket and looked at it again, a tear landing on the sparkling surface of the diamond. She reached up and clasped the necklace around her neck, the cool metal coming to rest against the skin of her chest. For some reason, she suddenly felt very connected to Mike, like this necklace would always keep him close to her heart.

She closed his locker and the box full of his things, struggling to lift it up because it was so heavy. She cradled the box close to her chest and walked to the door, looking back over her shoulder one last time. The room no longer felt like Mike's; it was barren and had lost the warmth that had once occupied it.

Mel reached up and turned off the light, and then she stepped out into the hallway and closed the door.

When she returned to the house, Roman was sitting on the couch, watching an old episode of some reality TV show. He looked up and smiled when she came in, but the smile faded when he saw the box in her arms. "Is that his stuff?"

Mel gave a little nod and set the box on the kitchen counter, her fingers automatically going up to touch the diamond pendant that hung around her neck.

Roman had gotten up and was walking over to where she stood, and he noticed the necklace for the first time. "What's that?" he asked curiously, peering at it. It was a pretty big diamond, and he knew that it must have cost a lot of money.

"I found it in Mike's locker," Mel whispered, her voice breaking a little. "This was with it too…" She dug the note out of her pocket and handed it to Roman, her hand wrapped around the necklace.

Roman read the note, feeling even more sad for Mel than he already did. Mike had really, truly loved her, and it showed in the words he had written. The fact that he had bought her an expensive necklace just so he could see her smile was a testament to that love. It made him think back to when he and Mel had been married, and how he could have done so much more for her.

"Do you mind if I keep it…?" Mel whispered, her hand still at her throat. There was a pleading look in her eyes, and he saw her fingers tighten around the silver chain, as if she was afraid he would take it away from her.

"Of course you can," Roman responded, folding the note back up and handing it back to her. "It's your gift, after all."

Mel bit her bottom lip and nodded, and then she went to grab some pajamas from her suitcase, intending on going to bed. She had already been exhausted, but finding that note and the necklace had drained her completely.

Roman noticed out how haggard she looked out of the corner of his eye, and he made a split-second decision. "Hey, Melly? Before you get into pajamas, I was wondering...would you like to go to dinner with me?"

She froze, and his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. He was so stupid. Of course she didn't want to go to dinner with him, she was still grieving over her boyfriend. _Idiot…_

"Yes."

Her voice was so soft that Roman almost didn't hear her. His head snapped up, and he blinked dumbly a couple of times before saying, "Huh?"

"Yes," Mel repeated, sounding almost shy as she peeked up at him from under her hair. "I would love to go to dinner with you."

A huge grin spread across Roman's face, and much to his embarrassment the only word that he could get out was, "Great!"

When the two of them walked into a nice restaurant about an hour later, Mel was dressed in a sleek black dress that ended just above her knees and a pair of strappy high heels. She had straightened her brown hair, and her hazel eyes looked bright with excitement, something he hadn't seen in a long time.

Roman had called and reserved a table for them ahead of time, figuring he could just call in and cancel it if Mel said no. The waitress led them to their table, which sat in a quiet little corner surrounded by windows. He pulled out her chair for her, and she gave him a warm smile before sitting down.

After sitting down across from her, he opened up his menu and scanned the choices. None of the options rang any bells, and he suddenly realized that he had no idea what any of this food was. He had just booked the reservation because the place had sounded fancy, and it had five star ratings. He glanced up at Mel to see if she was doing any better than he was, but her furrowed brow and the look of utter confusion on her face let him know that he was wrong.

"You don't know what any of this is either, do you?" Roman asked, a little embarrassed. He felt like kicking himself. This was the first time he had seen a sparkle in Mel's eyes in a long time, and now he had ruined it.

"Not at all," Mel responded with a giggle, peeking at him over the top of her menu. She didn't seem bothered at all by his mistake; instead her eyes had softened quite a bit, and she was looking at him with warm affection.

As he looked back at her, an idea suddenly popped into his head. He stood up abruptly, holding his hand out to her. "Come on," he said, hoping she would trust him. "Let's get out of here."

Mel tilted her head to the side, looking at him curiously before taking his outstretched hand. "Where are we going?" she asked as he gently tugged her up and left the restaurant with her.

"Somewhere better than here," Roman responded, helping her into the truck. "I've got the perfect place in mind."

Mel stared out the window the entire time he drove, trying to figure out where they could possibly be going. She came up with nothing, and her confusion deepened when they pulled into the parking lot of an aquarium. What were they doing at the aquarium?

Roman hopped out of the truck and helped her out, and then he walked into the building with her. He could feel the curiosity pouring off of her in waves, and he smiled to himself. He had a feeling she was going to love what he had planned.

They entered a room with a huge pool, and there were employees awaiting them, holding wetsuits. They each took one and went into the separate bathrooms to change. When they came out, they were ushered toward the pool. Roman could see Mel looking at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to figure out what he was plotting.

They were waist-deep in the water when a familiar clicking noise reached their ears, and Mel gasped in shock and delight when a dolphin swam right up to her. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of her favorite animal, and Roman felt a fuzzy warmth fill his heart. This was definitely a good decision.

The employee in the water showed Mel how to pet the dolphin, and she kissed it on the snout a couple of times, giggling when the dolphin clicked at her.

Roman pet the dolphin as well, amazed by its wet, rubbery skin. After that, the employee showed Mel how to hold on to the dolphin's dorsal fin, and the dolphin pulled her through the water. The smile on her face made Roman so happy, and as he stood in the water and watched her, he finally felt like he had gotten his Melly back.

Mel rode around with the dolphin for a little while, and then she waded over to Roman and threw her arms around his waist. "Thank you so much," she whispered, hugging him tight. "I feel so much better, Ro...thank you…"

"You're welcome," Roman responded, hugging her back tightly. "It's so nice to see you smile again…"

"You make me smile," Mel whispered, looking up at him with warm eyes. She stretched up on her tiptoes suddenly and kissed him, pressing her lips lightly to his.

Roman kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. An overwhelming filling of love washed over him, and he deepened the kiss, holding her tightly against him.

God, he had missed this feeling.


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

When Mel woke up the next morning, the first thing she noticed was the blinding sunlight that was pouring through the gap in the curtains, striking her right in the middle of her face. She let out a grunt and rolled over, bumping into the smooth skin of Roman's arm. She peered up at him, gazing at his sleeping face. They had been sleeping in the same bed for awhile now, simply because she slept much better if someone was in the bed with her. Nothing had happened between them just yet, but she knew that they were moving slowly in that direction.

Roman stirred, sensing her eyes on him, and he smiled warmly at her, flashing his white teeth. He stifled a yawn and sat up, pushing his thick hair out of his face and blinking at the clock, which read eight o'clock. He normally got up at around six to shower and run to the gym, making it back before Mel awoke. It wasn't that he was sneaking around or anything, he just didn't want her to wake up and find him gone. It was bad enough that she had already lost one boyfriend, he didn't want her thinking she had lost another one as well.

Mel also sat up, keeping the blankets wrapped around her shoulders. The air conditioning had been on the whole night, so the room was freezing. She huddled under them, admiring the way his back muscles flexed when he stretched. He looked like a god, and she felt a little thrill run through her.

"Good morning," the Samoan Thor said, turning to face her. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good," Mel admitted, drawing the blankets closer around her shoulders. "I tend to get better sleep when there's someone next to me. Thank you for agreeing to sleep in the bed with me."  
"Any time," Roman responded, waving a hand dismissively. "I remember how you used to toss and turn whenever I wasn't close enough to you. So then I'd roll back over and you'd snuggle right into my arms and go to sleep immediately. It was adorable."

Mel felt a rush of nostalgia as the memories came back to her, and she bit her bottom lip lightly as she recalled doing exactly what he had described. He had always made her feel so safe, so loved. She had loved sleeping in his strong arms, and he loved having her there.

Roman went to get up, presumably to go and take a shower, but Mel grabbed his wrist, tugging him gently back down. "No, stay. Snuggle with me." It was a dreary day outside, the skies a deep shade of gray. There was rain in the forecast, and to Mel it sounded like the perfect day to stay in bed and be lazy.

Roman got what she meant, and he smiled warmly and nodded. He wrapped his arms around her and sank down into the mound of pillows on the bed, amused by how many Mel needed to be able to sleep comfortably. The pillows took up more room in the bed than the two of them did, but if it helped Mel sleep, then he was willing to put up with it.

Mel snuggled into him, leaning her head against his chest and inhaling his scent. She caught a whiff of his cologne and felt her heart melt a little when she realized that it was the stuff she had gotten him for his birthday a few months ago. The fact that he still wore it made her feel kind of fuzzy inside. She liked that he hadn't stopped wearing it, it made it feel like the gift was all the more special to him.

"So where do we go from here?" Roman asked softly. He had been trying to avoid asking that question for as long as he could, but he knew that it was something that needed to be brought up. He hadn't wanted to rush Mel into another relationship, but he felt like they were dancing around each other.

Mel slid her fingers over the intricate tribal tattoo that covered half of his upper chest and his entire right arm, easily losing the line she was attempting to trace. She had seen this question coming for awhile now, and even though she would have balked at answering it a few weeks ago, she found the answer pretty simple now. Spending time at the aquarium with Roman last night was the most fun she had had since Mike had passed away, and it made her realize that she couldn't grieve forever. Mike would have wanted her to move on and be happy.

Roman got nervous when she took so long to respond, and he tried to focus on the silky strands of her brown hair that were sliding through his fingers. He shouldn't have said anything, it was too soon. She obviously needed more time to grieve. He opened his mouth to apologize when she reached up and rested a hand on top of his.

"I've been thinking about it, and I know that Mike would want me to be happy," she said softly, giving him a kind smile. "And if anyone makes me happy, it's you."

Roman felt a rush of warmth at her affectionate words, and he took her face in his hands and kissed her very softly, loving the feel of her lips against his. After he had cheated on her and she had left him, he had never expected to get another chance with her. Now that he had one, he was going to treat her like she deserved to be treated. He had every intention of keeping his vow to Mike.

Mel jerked away from him suddenly, and he blinked, startled. He started to worry that he had done something wrong, but to his surprise she threw the covers back and jumped up, then bolted for the bathroom. He heard the toilet lid clang, and then the unmistakable sounds of retching.

Concerned, Roman jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom, only to find Mel crouched over the toilet bowl, throwing up. He pulled her brown hair back, holding it out of her face while she continued to vomit. Finally she sat up, looking a little pale.

"Are you alright?" he asked, placing a hand on her forehead. She didn't feel warm, but that only meant that she didn't have a fever. "Are you sick?"

"Maybe," Mel responded, her voice shaky. "Yeah, that's probably it. I'm sorry for scaring you."

"It's okay," Roman said, lifting her up into his arms and carrying her back to bed. "You just lay here and rest, okay?" He pulled the covers up around her, tucking her in before heading out into the kitchen to make her some soup.

He had vowed to take care of her, and he was a man of his word.


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

It was odd, this feeling that was running through her body. Even though she felt very nauseous, she somehow knew that she wasn't sick. It was something much more complicated than that, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It was something she had never experienced before.

Roman was doing a great job of taking care of her. He got her water whenever she needed it, and he made her soup. He covered her with more blankets and fluffed up her pillows. He helped her to the bathroom if she needed to throw up again, which she did quite often. He offered to make her toast or something more filling, but whenever she got a whiff of food it only made her feel more sick.

She was laying in bed, close to drifting off to sleep, when a sudden thought struck her. Amidst everything that had happened and all of the drama, it had never occurred to her that she hadn't gotten her period on time. She started counting back on her fingers and was horrified when she realized that she was over two months late. Her heart pounding in her chest, she threw the blankets back and climbed out of bed, steadying herself against the wall for a second when a wave of nausea hit her. She pushed it away and stumbled into the bathroom. She opened up all of the cabinets and rummaged around until she found what she needed.

Locking the bathroom door and knowing that she had a limited amount of time before Roman came in to check on her and discovered her gone, she read the instructions on the back of the box and then pulled the little stick out. She did what was required and then set it on the edge of the sink. Then she plopped down on the toilet seat, wrapped her arms around herself, and waited.

The minutes seemed to tick by so slowly. Mel just held her breath, a million thoughts spinning through her mind. If what she suspected was true, she didn't know what she would do. This was something she had never even thought might happen, even though she should have been smart enough to know that it could.

When enough time had passed, she slowly got up and picked up the little stick, her heart pounding so hard in her chest that she thought it might come flying out. Her breath caught in her throat when she lowered her eyes to that tiny screen.

When she saw the little plus sign that hovered there faintly, she started to cry.

A knock on the door made her jump about a foot, and she quickly dried her tears, clutching the test in her hands. She wasn't too sure why she was crying, whether it was from sadness or happiness. She honestly didn't know what to think. This was all so sudden.

"Melly?" Roman's voice was muffled through the thick wood of the door, but she could hear the concern all too clearly. "Are you alright in there? Why is the door locked?"

"J-Just a second!" she called back. She started counting on her fingers, trying to work out the math in her head. She had slept with Mike about three months ago, and if she hadn't had her period in two months…

Mel froze, the realization dawning on her. There was only one person who could have caused this.

The doorknob jiggled, and Mel was reminded that Roman was standing outside. She slowly walked over and unlocked the door, then took a step back, knowing what was about to happen. The door flew open, and Roman peered at her from the doorway, his dark eyes full of worry. "Are you alright, babe?" he asked, gently brushing her hair back from her sweaty forehead.

Mel sucked in a deep, shaky breath and held out her hand, slowly uncurling her fist to reveal the test. She saw his eyes flick down to it, saw him take in what the screen said. His expression was blank for a couple of seconds as he comprehended, and then his head snapped up and his eyes burned into hers. He opened his mouth to say something, but she shook her head, wanting to be the one to say it.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, feeling like someone had let loose a whole jar of butterflies in her stomach. She felt a sudden rush of mixed emotions: happiness, sadness, terror, confusion. She set the positive test on the sink and looked up at him, trying to measure his reaction.

Roman ran a hand through his thick black hair, and then he simply said, "Mike's?" His tone of voice let her know that he knew just as well as she did that it was Mike's baby, but he wanted to hear it from her all the same.

"Yes," Mel breathed, her hands drifting down to rest on her stomach. It was an unconscious movement, one that she did instinctively. Much to her surprise, she felt a small bump there that she had never noticed before. Curious, she turned to the side and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, her breath catching when she saw how her belly swelled a little bit. It suddenly struck her that this was real.

Roman came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He looked into her eyes in the mirror and saw fear and hesitation shimmering in their hazel depths. He slid his hands down so that they were covering hers. "Don't worry," he murmured into her ear. "I'll help you take care of this baby. It's what he...what I...want."

Mel closed her eyes and leaned back into him, forcing herself to relax. This was all going to turn out okay after all.

"This is the place?" Mel asked, getting out of the car and peering up at the house that sat in front of them. It was a cute place, with gray, white and black brick on the front and gray siding. She felt an immediate connection to the house, even though she hadn't even set foot in it yet. Somehow she knew that she would love the inside too.

"Yep," Roman responded, looking down at the piece of paper he had printed out. "It's pretty cheap for this much square footage."

Mel grabbed his hand, tugging lightly. "Come on, let's go!"

The two of them entered the house, and Mel started to fall deeper and deeper in love as they wandered through each room. The living room was humongous, with vaulted ceilings and a beautiful stone fireplace. The kitchen was just as grand, with cherry wood cabinets and black granite countertops, and a huge island that branched off, bar stools neatly arranged under it. Mel ran her hand over the smooth granite, her eyes alight with wonder and excitement.

The two bathrooms were just as fancy, with lots of granite and spotless glass showers. There was even a jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom, which made Mel extremely happy. Her back had started to ache lately, so the thought of being able to feel jets against her back was extremely tantalizing.

After looking at the huge master bedroom, which included floor-to-ceiling windows that Mel immediately loved, they checked out the second bedroom. It was smaller than the master, but the perfect size for a nursery.

"So what do you think?" Roman asked, standing with her in the middle of the potential nursery. He loved the house as well, but he wanted to hear Mel's thoughts on it.

"I think," Mel said, turning in a slow circle to take it all in. "We should paint the room a brighter color. Something more fitting of a nursery."

Roman smiled and placed a kiss on top of her head. "I'll go and put in an offer." He left the room, pulling his phone out as he went.

Mel took a deep breath, thinking of all the possibilities this brought. She looked down at her swollen belly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Welcome home, little one."


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59**

When AJ arrived to pick up Mel for their girls' day, the first thing she did when Mel opened the front door was throw her skinny little arms around her waist. Mel grinned and wrapped her arms around AJ, only to blink when AJ pulled back abruptly, her chocolate eyes going wide.

Mel frowned, immediately concerned. "What is it, AJ?"

"You told me you had bought a new house, you didn't mention anything about being pregnant!" AJ exclaimed, pointing at Mel's swollen belly, which had bumped into her when she had gone to hug her best friend. "When did you plan on divulging this important information?!"

Mel smiled shyly. To be honest, she had totally forgotten to tell AJ that she was carrying Mike's baby. It wasn't that she had forgotten she was pregnant or anything, she had just been so wrapped up in the new house and this new relationship with Roman that it had slipped her mind. "Yeah," she said with a grin, resting her hands on her belly. "I'm a few months along."

AJ's gaze softened considerably. "Is it Mike's?"

Mel gave a little nod, feeling a little pang of grief at the mention of her late boyfriend. She had mourned for him and then let him go, but it still hurt sometimes. Just hearing his name when she wasn't prepared for it occasionally felt like a punch to the gut.

AJ gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. "That's good. You'll have a little piece of him with you forever now."

The huge smile the petite brunette Diva gave her melted her heart, and Mel wrapped AJ in a warm hug again. "Thank you so much AJ. That makes me feel so much better."

"No problem!" AJ chirped. "Now come on, let's go!" She grabbed Mel's hand and tugged her to her car. After she was settled in the passenger seat, the tiny brunette Diva hopped in and drove them to the spa, where they had planned to have their little outing.

They got manicures and pedicures, and Mel had her nails painted with purple nail polish while AJ opted for her usual black. After that they got massages, and while they lay on the comfortable tables, AJ turned her head to the side so she was looking at Mel and asked, "So what are you going to name this baby of yours?"

Mel, who had to lay on her side because she couldn't lay facedown, rested a hand lightly on her belly while she contemplated AJ's question. "Well, I don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, and I'm not sure I want to know. I might want it to be a surprise. If it's a girl, I'm going to name her Madeleine Alexis, and if it's a boy, then his name will be David Michael."

"Madeleine and David, huh? I like those names," AJ said with a nod. Her chocolate eyes glittered with mischief, and she gave Mel a crooked grin before saying, "Or both, if you have twins."

The thought of having two babies seemed terrifying, and she shook her head so quickly that her brown hair whipped from side to side. "Nope, no thank you. One baby is plenty."

AJ laughed at the look on her face. "Okay, okay. No twins for you. But if by some miracle you do have twins, you know who to call if you need a babysitter."

Mel pushed her brown hair out of her eyes and wiggled her eyebrows at AJ. "Speaking of you and babies, when are you and Punk going to have a little one?"

AJ bit her bottom lip and looked down at her polished black fingernails, picking at them absently. "I've thought about it," she admitted, tucking some of her brown hair behind her ear. "Punk doesn't really want kids though."

Mel didn't miss the sadness in AJ's tone, and she kindly said, "I'm sure you'll change his mind. After all, you changed his mind about marriage."

AJ smiled a little, her expression brightening as she looked at the diamond ring on her finger. "Yeah, you're right!"

After their spa time had ended, AJ dropped Mel off back at her house, feeling refreshed. Mel waved goodbye to AJ as she pulled out of the driveway, and then after her car had disappeared she turned and went up the walkway to the porch. It felt so nice to be able to let herself in to her own house.

The lights inside the house were off when she entered, and she blinked and closed the door before calling out, "Roman?" When she didn't receive an answer, she shrugged off her jacket and hung it by the door before walking into the living room. It was odd of Roman to leave without telling her, but she was sure he had his reasons.

It was then that she noticed candles scattered all around the room, casting their warm, flickering light. Rose petals were scattered on the floor, leading into the kitchen. Mel curiously followed the trail, discovering more petals on the kitchen counter, forming a heart around a note. Blinking, she picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it.

_Your smile brightens my day._

Mel melted a little inside, and she started following the trail of rose petals again, rereading the words printed on the paper. When she reached the bathroom, she found a note stuck to the mirror.

_You're my heart and soul._

She smiled and pulled the note off of the mirror, and then she noticed another one stuck to the back of the door when she went to leave the bathroom. _I would die for you without hesitation._

The next note was upstairs in the spare bedroom they were slowly in the process of converting into a nursery. It was tucked under a new teddy bear that sat on top of the dresser, one that Mel guessed Roman had bought for the baby. That warmed her heart already, but the actual note made her melt.

_I'll raise the baby as if it were my own, and I'll love it like my own as well._

The petal trail led her back downstairs to the living room, where she picked up a note off of the coffee table. _Every morning that I get to wake up to your beautiful face is a blessing. _The next one was in the dining room, stuck to a glass vase that contained a dozen beautiful red roses. _These roses can't match your beauty, but they'll have to do._

Mel felt a little thrill go through her. It had been a long time since she had felt this way, and it was nice to know that someone appreciated her and loved her. She sniffed the roses before following the trail once again, clutching the notes she had gathered to her chest. She ended up collecting a few more scattered around the house, each with a sweet little message scribbled on them in Roman's messy handwriting.

_You put the stars to shame._

_I love you more than I've ever loved anything._

_My world revolves around you._

_You're the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and I'm so glad that you're here with me._

With each note, her heart melted into a little puddle at her feet, and she felt herself falling even more in love with Roman. She had already been in love with him, she had known that for a long time. Even after they had split up because of the incident, a shred of the love that she harbored specifically for him remained. She could never let him go then, and now that he was all she had, she clung to him even tighter than ever.

She faintly wondered what he was up to as she followed the trail to the master bedroom, the one room she hadn't been in yet. The petals disappeared under the door, so she reached out and turned the door handle, then pushed the door open, clutching the notes to her chest.

Candles were placed in strategic spots around the bedroom, some on the dresser and others on the nightstands. It was dark in the room, but the flickering lights from the candles cast enough of a glow that she could see Roman standing by the bed. He gave her a warm smile and held out his hand, and as she drew closer to him she could see a small black velvet box resting in his palm. Her heartbeat picked up, and she slowly reached out and took the box, taking a deep breath before opening it.

Much to her surprise and disappointment, the box was empty except for another folded up piece of paper. Frowning, Mel unfolded it and started to read, still bummed that it had been the only thing in the box.

_I want to start out by saying that I know we've had our ups and downs, and I'm sorry for everything I have ever done to hurt you in the past. I know I acted like a dick for a long time, but that's only because I lost you and I didn't know what to do. The only thing I wanted was to find you, drop down to my knees, and beg you to take me back, but then I saw how happy Mike made you, and I realized that I could never make you smile like that. I know things have been hard for you now that Mike is gone, but I made him a vow at the cemetery that I would take care of you, and I intend to keep it. You're the most precious thing in the world to me, and I'm going to love that baby like it's my own. I know we're still technically married, but I wanted to ask you again, you know, to start fresh. I love you more than anything in the world. Will you marry me again?_

Mel looked up at Roman, only to gasp when she saw him holding out her wedding ring. She felt tears fill her eyes, and she slowly stretched out a trembling hand. He slid the ring back onto her finger, and Mel suddenly felt complete again.

Roman gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, putting all of his feelings for her into it. Mel melted in his arms, kissing him back just as passionately.

Everything was going to be okay after all.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

7 months later

Sharp, stabbing pain in her stomach woke Mel in the middle of the night. She let out a soft gasp and curled into a ball on her side, clutching her swollen belly. She had been expecting this for some time now, but she didn't think the time would come so soon. She was still a week away from her due date.

Roman was knocked out beside her, her whimpers of pain failing to wake him. She flailed her arm around, trying to find him in the darkness, and her hand smacked his muscular arm. He jolted awake, startled. "Wh-Wha?" When he saw her huddled on her side, her arms wrapped around her midsection, he immediately got concerned. "Melly? Baby? What is it?"

"It's time," Mel gasped, clutching the sheets as another stab of pain shot through her. "Get me to the hospital...now..."

"Okay! Of course!" Roman jumped out of bed and tugged some sweats and a t-shirt on, then rushed around the room, shoving stuff into a duffle bag. After he had thrown together everything he could find, he rushed over to the bed, and stood there for a moment, looking down at Mel's trembling form and panicking a little. He had no idea how he was going to get her up without hurting her even more.

Mel let out another whimper, and Roman bent and scooped her up into his arms in one fluid motion. She gave a little yelp of pain and he instantly felt guilty, but he knew that he couldn't put her back down. He rushed down the stairs and out the front door, helping her into the passenger seat of the car before hopping into the drivers' seat.

Roman reached the hospital in record time, and he whipped the car into the nearest parking space and helped Mel out of the passenger seat. He hurried inside with her and up to the front desk. "Please help us, my wife is going into labor."

The nurse looked up from her paperwork, her eyes snapping wide at Mel's pale skin and the thin sheen of sweat that covered her face. She jumped up and hurried over, helping Mel into a wheelchair that sat nearby. "Oh you poor thing! We'll get you comfortable, don't you worry!" She started wheeling Mel toward the OR, and Roman trotted along behind her, his heart pounding in his chest. The fact that he was technically about to become a father was a little terrifying, but exciting all the same.

They wheeled Mel into the OR, but before they allowed him to go in, they made him change into scrubs. After he was all suited up, he went into the OR, a little afraid of what he might see.

Mel was in labor for a resounding seven hours before finally giving birth to a baby boy. When the nurse put him in her arms, all wrapped up in a soft blue blanket, she burst into tears.

Roman leaned over to peer at the baby, and had to smile when he saw that he had Mike's shocking blue eyes. He could already tell that the kid was going to look just like his dad when he got older.

Mel was thinking the same thing. She saw so much of Mike in that baby boy's tiny face that it was making her sad and happy at the same time. She stroked his cheek lightly, smiling at how his tiny fingers grasped weakly at her own.

"What are you going to name him?" Roman asked, stroking her smooth brown hair.

Mel bent to kiss her son's forehead, remembering the conversation she had had with AJ months ago. "David," she murmured, her voice very soft. "David Michael Mizanin."

When they arrived home a few days later, Mel took little David upstairs to the nursery, which had been painted a fresh shade of blue. She lay David in his crib and kissed his forehead, feeling a surge of love for her son.

After she went back downstairs, she plopped down on the couch beside Roman and snuggled into him, leaning her head against his chest. Her body ached from giving birth, but she would heal.

Roman placed a kiss on her forehead, and she melted when he whispered, "Mike would be so proud of you."

Mel closed her eyes, thinking about David and Mike. David was her little copy of Mike, her second chance. She wasn't going to screw this one up.

Roman rubbed her back soothingly, sensing that she was close to falling asleep. It had been a tiring past couple of days, with her being stuck in the hospital. She still wasn't fully healed from giving birth, and even though she would never admit it, he knew that she was still in a little bit of pain.

Half an hour of watching "Cops" reruns later, she had fallen fast asleep, her legs dangling over the arm of the couch and her head in his lap. He ran his fingers through her silky brown hair, smiling to himself. She was so beautiful, and he was so glad she was his again. Second chances didn't come too often, so he intended to make good on this one.

Roman shut the TV off, feeling sleep clawing at his eyes as well. He scooped Mel up into his arms, being careful not to wake her, and carried her into the bedroom. After he got her all tucked in, he stripped down to his boxers and crawled in beside her.

No sooner had he slipped between the cool sheets than a shrill cry came from the nursery down the hall. Roman glanced at Mel anxiously, worried that it had woken her, but fortunately she still slept soundly. He got out of bed and padded down the hallway, pushing the nursery door open. He walked over to the crib and reached in, lifting out a crying David. He felt a bit awkward because he had never been around children, but he tucked David into the crook of his arm and rocked him slowly. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay."

David started to calm down, and he gazed up at Roman with big blue eyes, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

Roman gave a soft chuckle. "You're actually kinda cute..."

David made a little noise and then smiled, and Roman felt his heart melt.

When Mel poked her head into the nursery five minutes later, she was greeted by the sight of Roman sitting in the rocking chair in the corner, holding David in his arms and rocking slowly back and forth. The affection in the Samoan man's dark eyes was heart-warming.

Smiling and with her eyes shining with tears, Mel quietly closed the door and went back to bed.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

**Two years later**

Peals of little laughter from the living room made Mel smile as she washed the dishes. She could hear Roman in there, growling like a monster while David squealed and ran around, trying to escape from him. The laughter sounded whenever Roman caught him and scooped him up, tossing him up in the air to a chorus of adorable giggles.

Three years ago, if someone had told her this was her future, she wouldn't have believed them. She hadn't intended to have children until she was finished with her career, but she had accomplished everything she wanted. She had been Divas' Champion for quite awhile, and then she had dropped the title to Paige in light of her pregnancy. Paige had been pleased to get the title, and Mel knew that the belt was in good hands.

Shortly after she gave birth to David, she and Roman had a talk about what they were going to do now that they had a child, and since Roman had refused to let her give her career up for him, and vice versa, they had decided to just take David on the road with them. Roman had bought a bus and they put a crib on it, and for the first two years of David's life he went with them to all of the shows. When they had matches, some of the other wrestlers watched him while they wrestled. David was very fond of his Aunt AJ and Uncle Punk, as well as his Uncle Seth, who kept him distracted by letting him play with his shiny Money in the Bank briefcase.

At this moment in time, however, they had the weekend off, so they were planning on taking David to a local pumpkin farm for a little fall fun. They had just finished up breakfast, which was why Mel was scrubbing the dishes. She had decided to get those done before they went.

She placed the last dish in the cupboards and then went out into the living room. David was sitting on the floor by Roman, doing a puzzle, but when he spotted her, he got to his feet and ran over to her. "Mama!"

Mel smiled warmly and reached down, picking him up with ease and settling him on her hip. "Hey little man, are you ready to go to the pumpkin farm?"

David's face lit up with a smile, and for a moment Mel caught a glimpse of Mike in his young face. He was the spitting image of his father, with sparkling aqua eyes and messy dark hair. He acted like Mike more and more each day, and sometimes it brought her to tears, and other times it made her smile.

"Yes Mama!" he chirped, wriggling excitedly in her arms. He had been excited for this little trip ever since they had told him about it last night, and she could feel the exciting coming off of him in waves.

Mel smiled and kissed his forehead. "Okay, let's go."

AJ and Punk were already at the farm when they arrived there, over by the pumpkin patch with their one-year-old daughter, Mia. As it turned out, AJ had in fact convinced Punk to have a kid, and Mia had him wrapped around her little finger already.

"Hey guys!" Mel greeted them, holding David's hand as they went over. David immediately went over by Mia, the two of them already best friends even at such a young age. "How's everything been?" she asked after giving AJ and Punk a hug.

"Greet!" AJ said happily, tucking some of her straight brown hair behind her ear and watching Mia and David with bright chocolate eyes. "Mia is getting so big already. They grow up so fast, it's ridiculous."

"Tell me about it," Mel agreed, looking at David fondly.

After chatting a little more, they grabbed their respective children and took them to get pumpkins. Mel walked through the field with David, waiting patiently for him to pick one he liked. He ended up picking a small round one, and he carried it happily back to where Roman waited, smiling warmly. Once Mia had also selected her pumpkin, they all got cups of apple cider, one of Mel's favorite fall drinks. The kids downed theirs in an instant, so the four adults had to gulp theirs down so that they could take the toddlers on the hay ride.

Roman climbed up into the back of the wagon, and Mel handed him David before climbing up as well. After AJ, Punk, and Mia were safely settled, the driver flicked the reins, and the horse started trotting down a dirt trail along the trees. The sun was setting and the air was getting chillier, but Mel had anticipated this and bundled David up in his jacket, scarf, and mittens, then held him in her lap to share her body warmth. She had also worn her jacket, and leaning into Roman's side helped keep her warm as well.

The toddlers were chattering like crazy as the horse plodded on, pointing to things and asking what they were. It occurred to Mel after David had finished barraging her with questions that she had never been more happy in her whole life, and she leaned her head against Roman's solid chest and closed her eyes, allowing the steady sway of the wagon and the horse's solid footsteps to soothe her.

By the time the wagon returned to the farm, the stars were starting to come out overhead, and the two kids had fallen asleep. Roman hopped out of the wagon and accepted David from Mel, then helped her down as well. Punk did the same for AJ, and they all started to walk back to their cars, their breath clouding the air in front of them. Roman was holding a sleeping David, whose head was resting on his shoulder, and AJ was carrying Mia while Punk walked with his arm around his wife's shoulders. The leaves were starting to fall off of the trees, and they drifted down around them and were kicked up when they walked.

Mel hugged AJ and Punk goodbye when they reached their vehicles, careful to be quiet so she wouldn't wake David or Mia. Roman somehow got David strapped into his carseat without waking him, and then he hopped into the driver's seat and headed for home.

The brunette Diva looked over at Roman while he drove, her hazel eyes full of warmth and affection for the large Samoan man. He was so incredible with David. He treated the little boy as if he were his own son, and it melted her heart to see. She had been worried at first that Roman would never be able to connect with David because he wasn't his flesh and blood, but it was clear to her that she had been foolish to think that. It was clear that Roman loved David, and David loved him too. Her son would always have a father figure in his life.

When they got home, Mel took David upstairs and woke him momentarily so she could put him in his WWE footie pajamas. Then she put him to bed, feeling her heart break a little when he immediately reached out for the toy that he always slept with, an action figure of Mikey. Roman had given it to him for his second birthday, and now he could only sleep if he had it with him. It made her glad to know that he knew who his father was, but also sad that he would never be able to hug the real thing.

Mel made sure David's night light was on, and then she slipped out of the room, leaving the door open a crack so that a little bit of the hallway light seeped into his room. She padded down the hallway to the master bathroom, stifling a yawn. She hadn't expected to be so worn out from going to the pumpkin farm, but the exhaustion had suddenly hit her hard. After she brushed her teeth and slipped into a tank top and pajama bottoms, she went into the bedroom and crawled beneath the blankets, immediately feeling better.

No more than a few minutes had passed when Roman entered the room. He didn't bother to turn the light on, instead opting for stripping down into his boxers in the darkness. He climbed into the other side of the bed, instantly curling his body around hers and draping one arm over her waist. She clasped his hand where it rested lightly on her stomach, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing as sleep started to overtake her.

It seemed too good to be true, but her life was incredible at the moment. She had a beautiful son and a loving husband, and even though she had been through a lot over the past couple of years, multiple blessings had come out of it as well.

Perhaps she actually had a shot at happiness and peace after all.


	62. Chapter 62

**A/N: So this is the last chapter of Melly's story, and in all honesty I'm sad it has to end. I've grown quite attached to this fic, but even though I would like for it to go on forever, all great things must come to an end. Thank you to all of you who have faithfully followed this fic from beginning to end, I truly appreciate your reviews, favorites, and follows. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 62**

**Three years later**

"Okay David, be a good boy, okay?" Mel said, adjusting the backpack that seemed ten times bigger than her son. The bus sat in front of them, the bus driver peering kindly out at them as she held the doors open. Mel could see curious faces pressed up against the smudged bus windows, wondering why they weren't on their way yet.

"Okay Mama!" David chirped. Even though Mel had heard about kids getting scared on their first ever day of school, David seemed more excited than frightened. He couldn't stand still, looking anxiously toward the bus. "Can I go now, Mama? Can I, can I?"

Mel smiled at his enthusiasm. At least she didn't have to worry about him having separation anxiety. "Okay little man, go on," she said, bending to kiss the top of his head. "Have fun, and don't talk to strangers!"

David eagerly boarded the bus, his little legs struggling to get up the steps. Mel watched him walk the length of the bus through the windows, chewing her lower lip anxiously. He finally found a seat and sat down, scooting over to the window and waving happily at Mel, his blue eyes bright.

Mel waved back as the bus pulled away from the curb, and she kept waving until it rounded the corner at the end of the block and disappeared. Her heart ached a little when it was out of sight; her baby boy was a kindergartener. He was growing up so fast, and he looked more and more like his father every day.

"Mama?"

Mel looked down into round hazel eyes, peering up at her with a child's young innocence. "Where did David go?" the little girl asked in a tiny voice.

Mel knelt down in front of her daughter, tucking some of the little girl's thick black hair behind her ear. "David had to go to school, Kylie. He'll be back a little later, don't worry."

Kylie smiled and nodded. "Okay!" She had just turned two years old a month ago, and she had been stuck to her half-brother like glue. Even as a toddler, she was beautiful. She had her father's mocha skin and thick black hair, but Mel's hazel eyes. It was clear that the Samoan genes had won the struggle.

Mel kissed Kylie's forehead and then stood back up, reaching down to take her tiny hand. "Come on honey, let's get back to the house. I'm sure your daddy is wondering where we are."

When they got back to the house, Roman was standing on the front porch, waiting for them. Kylie let go of Mel's hand and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, squealing, "Daddy! Daddy!"

Roman grinned and scooped her up as soon as she reached him, kissing her cheek. "Hey baby girl, I missed you!"

Kylie giggled when the scruff on his face scraped her cheek, and she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Mel smiled as she climbed the stairs to the porch. It was clear that Kylie was a daddy's girl, but that was okay. From the day that she had been born, Roman had fallen in love with her. She had him wrapped around her tiny finger, and she was part of the reason why Roman had retired from wrestling. He had wanted to be there for their children, and since he had already won the WWE Championship already, he had accomplished his dreams. Mel had retired also, having done everything she could have possibly wanted. She was sure it had given Stephanie a kind of sick satisfaction, but that didn't matter. She had a loving husband and two beautiful children. She was the real winner.

"Come on baby girl, let's go inside. It's getting chilly out here," Roman said, smiling at Kylie and winking at Mel before going inside the house, Kylie chattering on about whatever it is that two-year-olds talk about. Mel wrapped her arms around herself as a cool breeze ruffled her brown hair, looking out at the endless blue sky. Today was wrapped in a lot of memories. It was the anniversary of Mike's death.

She closed her eyes, everything that she had felt five years ago slamming into her like a freight train. She let it all wash over her for a few seconds, and then she closed that door once again. It had taken a long time for the pain to fade, and she didn't want to feel it all over again.

When Mel heard the sound of an engine and the screeching of brakes, she leaped up from where she had been sitting with Kylie at the dining room table, coloring a cartoony picture of a giraffe with an orange crayon. She raced over to the window and peered out, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree when she saw the school bus parked outside. The bus doors opened, and David stepped out, his blue eyes bright with excitement.

Mel raced for the front door and threw it open, practically brimming with excitement. She wasn't used to being away from her baby boy for such a long period of time, and she felt like she could burst into tears at the sight of him. "David!"

David spotted her and started running, looking a little awkward because his backpack was bouncing against his back. "Mama! Mama!"

Mel knelt right as he reached her, throwing her arms open. He ran into them, and she hugged him as tight as she could without hurting him, incredibly happy to see him. He felt so tiny in her arms that she couldn't believe he was already in school.

"How was school, baby?" Mel asked, ruffling his dark hair playfully and kissing his forehead, hoping he had a good day.

"It was fun!" David exclaimed brightly. "My teacher is nice, and I made friends!"

Relief swept over Mel, and she kissed his forehead tenderly. "That's great, I'm so glad you had a good day. I missed you."

"I missed you too Mama," David replied, giving her another hug.

Mel took his backpack from him and straightened up, tossing it over her shoulder and taking his hand in hers. They started walking back to the house, and when they were halfway there Mel looked down at her son and murmured, "Do you remember what day it is, baby?"

David looked up at her with those impossibly clear blue eyes. "Yes Mama," he said, sounding very solemn for a five-year-old. "Today is the day that Daddy went away."

A lump lodged itself firmly in Mel's throat, but she forced herself to swallow past it. "Yes, that's right. What do you say we go and see him? I'm sure he'd like that." Mel had been going to visit Mike every year, just to sit and talk to him. She had never taken David before, simply because she hadn't wanted her son to see his father's grave, but for some reason she felt the need to this time. Maybe it was because David was old enough now to comprehend what had happened to his daddy.

David's smile seemed wiser than his five years. "Okay."

It had gotten colder by the time they arrived at the cemetery, and Mel was suddenly thankful that Roman had had the foresight to tell her to bring her jacket. She got out of the car and opened the back door, reaching in to unclip David from his car seat. He was all bundled up in a jacket, scarf, and mittens, and his cute little face peered up at her. She lifted him out of the car and set him on the ground, then grabbed the bouquet of flowers out of the backseat as well before closing the door.

She and David walked hand-in-hand along the rows of headstones, the wind whistling through the trees, sending flurries of red, orange, and yellow leaves bouncing across the ground. David was silent, as if he understood that this was a sad place.

They finally reached the familiar white marble headstone, once so vibrant but now worn down by the rain and wind, the words carved into the surface starting to fade. That didn't matter, though. Mel knew them by heart.

She knelt in front of the headstone and placed the bouquet on the ground in front of it, the vibrant colors of the lilies, chrysanthemums, and roses seeming to glow among the grays and browns of the cemetery. "Hey baby," she whispered to the slab of cool stone, stretching out a hand so that her fingertips brushed the weathered surface. "I brought someone else with me this time. Someone special."

David was standing behind her, watching the little scene quietly, his round cheeks slightly red from the cold. Mel turned to look at him and gave him a warm smile, then reached out a hand to him. David took it, and she drew him forward so that he was sitting in her lap, gazing at the headstone while she sheltered him from the wind with her body. She pointed to the faded words and murmured, "Can you read what that says, baby?"

David squinted, and she could almost see his brain processing the words. "M...Mi...chael…?"

Mel nodded and placed a kiss on the top of his head, and then she read, "Michael Gregory Mizanin."

David looked up at her. "That's my name too!"

Mel smiled, knowing that he was referring to the fact that his middle name was Michael. "That's right. I gave you your middle name in honor of your daddy."

David looked back at the headstone, and Mel just sat with him in silence, holding onto him as the sky began to darken above them. _This is your son, Mikey, _she thought to herself. _I hope you can see him, wherever you are. He looks and acts just like you. He loves you, and I'm sure you would have loved him too._

When it got dark enough that it was hard to see the words on the headstone, Mel stood up, brushing her jeans off. "Time to go home, David."

David looked at the headstone and then up at her, looking sad all of a sudden. "We're going to leave him here?"

Mel's heart ached at the look on his face, and she knelt down in front of him and reached out to brush his hair out of his eyes. "Yes baby, we have to. But we're not leaving him forever. He'll always be with you, right in here." She placed her hand over David's heart, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes. She had been telling herself that Mike would always be with her for five years, and deep down she knew that he was. There were times when she thought she would catch a whiff of his cologne, or hear his laugh in the distance, and even though she kept berating herself for imagining things, she knew that he was watching over her, just like he always had in real life. Theirs was a love that not even death could sever.

David gave a little nod of understanding, and Mel could see that he wasn't so sad anymore. She stood up and reached out for his hand, but he shook his head quickly and pushed his little hands into his coat pockets, clearly looking for something. He pulled out a crinkled piece of paper, and Mel could see that it was a crayon drawing of a little boy and a man. The little boy was clearly David, and he was holding the hand of the man, who had dark spiky hair and bright blue eyes. Written in a five-year-old's shaky handwriting at the bottom were the words "Me and my Daddy".

He went over to the headstone and folded the drawing up, then placed it below the bouquet of flowers so it wouldn't blow away in the wind. He leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on the white marble, and then he turned and went back over to Mel, who was struggling to keep from bursting into proud tears.

Mel took David's hand, and the two of them walked back to the car, leaving the wind to whistle through the trees and ruffle the bouquet of colorful flowers that rested on the ground in front of a white marble headstone.

**END**


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